Architecture
Have a unique experience at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao – an architectural landmark of the twentieth century –, exploring the spaces designed by architect Frank Gehry.
Zero
1st floor, Zero gallery
We suggest you start your tour of the Museum at ZERO, an immersive experience with a powerful visual language and an amazing design.
Located in the lobby, ZERO welcomes all visitors with a sensory approach to the history of the Museum and its environs, to the Frank Gehry–designed building, and to the Museum Collection.
Inside the Museum
Atrium, 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors
Explore the Museum’s fascinating architecture by visiting all its spaces, which house a wide range of different galleries–the perfect settings for contemporary art.
The Atrium is the beating heart of the building, connecting the interior to the exterior. The walkways pumping visitors into or out of it offer new standpoints to observe the artwork on view.
The galleries on the third floor are crowned by skylights that let in natural light, which reaches the spaces on the floor below as well.
Outside the Museum
1st floor, terrace
From the riverfront terrace you can see how the Museum is seamlessly integrated into the surrounding cityscape in terms of materials (glass, titanium, limestone) and how it connects with the surrounding buildings and structures.
The pond pays tribute to the Nervión estuary and its fundamental role in the development of the city of Bilbao. It also makes the perfect setting for artwork by Anish Kapoor and Yves Klein.
Going out from the Atrium, walk into the terrace and discover the works by Eduardo Chillida and also by Louise Bourgeois. You can also take a look at the pieces by Fujiko Nakaya, Daniel Buren, and Yves Klein, also installed outside, which are operated to become active at regular intervals.
The Bilbao Cityscape
After visiting the Museum, walk out and take a look at its surroundings. Over the past few decades, the city of Bilbao has undergone an extraordinary urban transformation. The building of the Museum marked the beginning of a process that converted Bilbao from industrial hub to top international tourist destination.
Contributions by internationally renowned architects include not only the Museum building by Frank Gehry but also those by Santiago Calatrava, Arata Isozaki, Rafael Moneo, and Álvaro Siza, among others. Walk under the La Salve Bridge or across the Zubizuri Bridge, or climb the stairs between the Isozaki Towers for brand-new views of the city.
Today, Bilbao continues to transform in the area of Zorrozaurre, an artificial island in the district of Deusto. Walk down the right bank of the estuary to reach the bridge paying tribute to Frank Gehry.
