my coworker mentioned that he’ll be bringing in a large photograph of the guggenheim. I then asked, “the one in new york, or the one in austrailia… no… i mean spain..,” and i remember always being in awe of architect- frank gehry’s guggenheim in bilbao, spain. i’m surprised i said australia first. i then realized my mind made a quick faux pas as i imagined the sydney opera house’s flowing, rounded material reflecting against a body of water. both structures, the guggenheim in spain, and the sydney opera house of australia, share strikingly similar features, yet also have several differences.
i did a little research and found a blog that reflects my curiosities expressing the similarities and differences of the sydney opera house vs. the guggenheim, bilbao spain:
http://kwdesignhistory.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/the-guggenheim-in-bilbao-vs-the-sydney-opera-house/
The Guggenheim in Bilbao vs. The Sydney Opera House
author: kelly werner
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain was designed by the amazing architect Frank Gehry and opened in 1997. Its curves and shapes are supposedly random, not representative of or inspired by anything, but designed to catch the light. This glorious piece of architecture has become quite iconic for Bilbao, and sits beautifully alongside the Nervion River. Several critics label it is being a part of the Deconstructivism movement, however Gehry does not himself adhere to the movement.
The Sydney Opera House has a somewhat longer history, designed by Jorn Utzon, and opened in 1973. It is labeled as a modern expressionist design, and it’s “shells” are supposedly inspired/based off of the idea of a sphere cut up into sections. The Opera House has been visually interpreted in many different ways: as echoing the waves of the ocean, the sails of a boat, sea shells, or the sections of an orange. It is one of the major iconic buildings of the 20th century, and has the honor of being the most recently completed building to have been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Personally I find both of these structures gorgeous and iconic, but I find them very different from one another as well. The similarities I see between them are that they are both abstract and postmodern — they are not symmetrical, geometric, or rigid. They both have a beautiful, active quality to them, and I think they are both made to be situated by water. I find them different not only because of the obvious difference in shape and materials used, but I feel that the Guggenheim seems much less stable, and more fluid and eccentric. The Opera House to me feels much more stable, and somewhat more “planned”. They are both awe-inspiring icons, and really push the envelope. I really appreciate these architects who poured their life into these works, because they are inspiring generations of artists to come as well.
♡ 
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