A different approach to renewal

THE Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, opened its doors to the public just over 25 years ago, in October 1997. Since then, the museum’s signature building of limestone, titanium, and glass, by Frank Gehry, has become an internationally recognised symbol of the city.

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It also continues to attract large numbers of people; last year, it received more than 1¼ million visitors.

Athena has nothing but praise for what the Guggenheim at Bilbao has achieved, but, for present purposes, she is less interested in the museum itself than in the myth it created. Not only in Europe, but across the world, local and national governments have sought to re-create what has been dubbed the ‘Bilbao effect’. Put simply, they have been persuaded to invest in culture and striking new architecture in order to reverse the long-term economic decline of a city (or underpin the prestige of a new one, as in Abu Dhabi).