Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy casts a large shadow. The week leading up to his 150th birth anniversary has seen celebratory exhibitions, tour launches and open houses. LEGO, the Danish block-building company did not want to be left behind. Having previously launched a LEGO Fallingwater set and the Rodie House package, their latest addition to the LEGO Architecture series is the Guggenheim Museum.
这个744块集包括标志性的混凝土spiral rotunda and a 10-storey limestone tower. LEGO had previously released a smaller version of this structure, however, this particular set better represents the museum's proportions. While both Fallingwater and Robie House were rectilinear and easy to configure using their standard size, one would imagine this particular set required custom pieces to be manufactured.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was setup in 1937. The founding collection was moved into its current location in 1959. The Guggenheim Museum is one of Wright's most identifiable structures, and easily dwarfs the New York City skyscrapers surrounding it—a hallmark of 20th century architecture.
The defining feature is the cylindrical inverted ziggurat, as Wright called it. Wider at the top than the bottom, it was meant to be a "temple of the spirit". Visitors were meant to take the elevator to the top of the unique ramp gallery and walk down. However, the inclined gallery space made it very difficult to hang any work of art and the building underwent extensive expansion and renovations in 1992, when they added an adjoining tower.
One of the biggest criticisms the building received at the time of its launch was that the architect took the attention away form the artwork, so much so that 21 artists signed a letter protesting the display of their work in the space. Their concern, in a way, was valid because 58 years into the future, the Guggenheim Museum has far more significant visual impact, and now, has its own LEGO set.
