Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

completed

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a concrete masterpiece featuring a top-heavy spiraling form. It was Wright's first commission in New York City, located next to Central Park on Fifth Avenue and 89th Street on the Upper East Side. The museum's design includes a 1,416-foot long spiral ramp set at an 18-degree angle, originally intended to have a glass elevator and spherical observation deck, which were not built due to budget cuts. The building was restored with a $29 million project that removed 11 layers of paint, revealing the original brownish-yellow exterior color, though it was repainted gray. The museum is one of the youngest buildings to be designated a National Historic Landmark and a New York City landmark. The interior is painted nearly every day to maintain its appearance, and the rotunda walls are tilted outward at 97 degrees to emulate an easel for displaying art. The design was initially controversial among artists. The exterior bears Frank Lloyd Wright's initials and the name of the contractor, George Cohen.