In June 1943, Frank Lloyd Wright received
a letter from Hilla Rebay, the art advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, asking the
architect to design a new building to house Guggenheim's four-year-old Museum of
Non-Objective Painting. The project evolved into a complex struggle pitting the
architect against his clients, city officials, the art world, and public
opinion. Both Guggenheim and Wright would die before the building's 1959
completion. The resultant achievement, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,
testifies not only to Wright's architectural genius, but to the adventurous
spirit that characterized its founders.
Exploring the Guggenheim is extremely
enjoyable, but a floor plan is a necessity. The amount of artwork on display is
significant, so much so that a visitor might feel a kind of art overload, which
is why the museum offers self guided audio tours and group tours for interested
visitors.
Expect to spend at least half a day going
through the galleries and exploring the building. Try to head here early and
avoid the weekends when the museum gets extremely crowded.