It’s one thing to visit a museum for the art collections inside. But in some cases, the building itself is just as important as the art collections inside.
One of the most famous examples of this is the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Not only is the art collection incredible, but the Frank Gehry-designed building is considered a groundbreaking structure.
There are some cool museum structures right here in the U.S. as well.
At the University of Minnesota, the Weisman Art Museum was the first museum designed by Gehry in its entirety.
The Denver Art Museum is another interesting structure—the Hamilton Building was built to mimic the Rocky Mountains, with jutting planes and titanium shingles.
Head to St. Petersburg-Clearwater and down the street from the famous Dali Museum is a Chihuly Collection.
This is the first time Chihuly’s works have been housed in a space designed specifically for the art—so the lighting and layout maximize experience of viewing these glass installations.
Bottom line: the art experience doesn’t always start when you step inside the front entrance. Sometimes, it’s about stepping back and enjoying your surroundings as well.
For more information, check out the archives of Museums.
Keep reading for more travel tips.
Photo credit: Georges Jansoone
