The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Honored with the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Twenty-five Year Award

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by architect Frank Gehry, has been honored with the Los Angeles-based American Institute of Architects (AIA) Twenty-five Year Award “conferred on a building that has set a precedent for the last 25–35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance.”

​​​​​​​As stated in AIA’s announcement, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was conceived at a pivotal moment between analog and digital practice, and since its opening in 1997, it has been an integral part of urban life in Bilbao. Built by the Nervión river on a then derelict site due to its industrial past, the Museum is an enduring testament to creativity, innovation, and the collaboration between three parties—architect Frank O. Gehry, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and the Basque Institutions, which were in search of a pioneering project for the city of Bilbao—“who worked together to create something extraordinary out of necessity and opportunity. The result is a timeless architectural masterpiece that continues to inspire people around the world today almost 25 years after its completion.”