Wright's inverted ziggurat — still the most radical gallery space ever conceived
Art museum in New York, New York.
Featured in Frank Gehry's definitive monograph, Building Art: Life and Work of Frank Gehry.
Visitor Guide
Start at the top and spiral down. Most visitors do it backwards. The continuous ramp was designed as a single unbroken experience — honor it.
From the southeast corner of Central Park across 5th Avenue. Inside, lean over the railing from the top floor for the vertiginous spiral view down.
Open daily except Wednesday. Pay-what-you-wish Saturday 4-6pm. Less crowded at opening.
Wright designed it to make rectangular paintings look wrong — he wanted to force a rethinking of how art is displayed. The gentle slope of the ramp means you're always slightly off-balance, which keeps you alert.
1.5-2 hours
Design & Structure
Wright conceived the spiral form in 1943 but it took 16 years to build — the engineering was ahead of available techniques. The continuous helical ramp is poured reinforced concrete, essentially a single structural ribbon.
Reinforced concrete, gunite-sprayed exterior. The creamy white concrete was controversial — it was meant to echo a nautilus shell. Interior ramp has a smooth concrete surface that reflects light evenly.
More by Frank Gehry
View all →
Yale University
Princeton University
Hennessy
University of Cincinnati
The Guardian
Yale New Haven Hospital
Nearby in Manhattan
The New York Times Building
565 Broome Street
World Trade Center station (PATH)
53W53
50 United Nations Plaza
Storefront for Art and Architecture
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum?+
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was designed by Frank Gehry and completed in 1937. It is located in Manhattan, United States.
Where is Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum located?+
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is located in Manhattan, United States. Its coordinates are 40.7831°, -73.9589°.
When was Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum built?+
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was completed in 1937. It was designed by Frank Gehry.
Can I visit Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum?+
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a real building in Manhattan that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.