Architectural Masterpieces: Guggenheim Bilbao & Palau de la Música Catalana
Guggenheim Bilbao
Architect: Frank O. Gehry (1929)
Date: 1991-1997
Location: Bilbao
Style: Deconstructivism
Materials Used: Titanium, Limestone, and Glass
Building System: Industrial Materials
Historical Context
The sculptural Deconstructivist architecture of controlled chaos is a defense, with its attractive juxtaposition of impossible shapes and foreign materials. Deconstructivist architecture raises a question about the survival of rationalism in the twentieth century.
Formal Analysis
Support Elements and Structure
The mathematical complexity of the sinuous curves forced them to be designed by computer. The walls are made of glass and mounted on a metal structure that has only been possible thanks to technological advances.
Indoor and Outdoor Space
From the outside, the most spectacular feature is its titanium coating, a “metallic flower.” The group articulates and interconnects two types of forms: the orthogonal, covered with limestone, and the curved plates of coated titanium. The lobby is the centerpiece of the museum: it articulates the three levels of exhibition halls with curved walkways. The museum is divided into 19 galleries: 10 have a classic look, and 9 generated enormous interior spaces.
Style
The characteristic is its genuine sculptural nature. Gehry’s buildings are collages of juxtaposed materials and spaces; he brings structure to the utmost radicalism.
Interpretation: Content and Meanings
The Guggenheim Museum in New York opened a new era in which museums exhibit themselves. Many artists disagreed because they feared that the museum would overshadow the works housed there.
Function
In the late twentieth century, museums were transformed into centers that generate sponsorship and art, and the Guggenheim Museum stands as a work of art in itself.
Palau de la Música Catalana
Architect: Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Date: 1905-1908
Location: Barcelona
Style: Modernism
Materials Used: Ceramics, Iron, Glass, and Brick
Construction System: Industrial Materials
Historical Context
The historical context of Barcelona during the Industrial Revolution and the enlargement plan was to expand old facilities and make this growth possible. This work belongs to Modernism, a cultural movement that occurred in Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, affecting all forms of art and philosophy. The arts and architecture are shown in their fullness. In Catalonia, we can find many manifestations of Modernism, whether in buildings, factories, hospitals, etc. As general features, we have: the predominance of the curve over the line, dynamism of forms, attention to detail in the decoration, and the use of natural forms.
Support Elements and Structure
The Palau de la Música Catalana is supported by a network of iron columns and beams. This structure supports a large “glass box.” The loads are concentrated at specific points to release the walls from the responsibility of supporting the whole.
Outdoor and Indoor Space
The building is on an irregular piece of land in a rather small space. At the confluence of the two facades is a sculptural set by Miquel Blay that consists of two parts: one with female figures and children, the other representing workers in the world, with a worker, a farmer, and a fisherman; St. George, patron saint of Catalonia, chairs the group. The main facade is a mosaic that highlights the Balanguera stages.
The interior is divided into three main blocks: the accessible part of the auditorium, the stage, and the backstage area. The central element is the auditorium, around which the other spaces revolve.
The top line of the stage was not built with any arch; instead, that space is delimited by two groups of sculptures by Pau Gargallo: one representing popular music, the other classical music. Behind the scenes are some female figures playing various instruments.
In the main hall stands the great stained glass ceiling in the form of an inverted dome that acts as a lamp. The side walls feature several sculptures by Gargallo that reference musical works and are combined with immense windows.
Style
This is a true manifesto of Modernism and nationalist pride. The building combines traditional construction, especially Gothic, with the modern, present in the structure of steel and glass.
Interpretation: Content and Meaning
It has a strong symbolic character. The participation of charismatic Catalan artists, the use of popular materials, and the continuous references to the Catalan homeland through allegories, etc., made it one of the fundamental symbols of Catalonia.
Function
The objective of the Palau de la Música Catalana was to be the headquarters of the Orfeó Català and to serve as a concert hall.