Early years and Hilla Rebay Solomon R. Guggenheim, a member of a wealthy mining family, began collecting works of the
old masters in the 1890s. who introduced him to European
avant-garde art, in particular abstract art that she felt had a spiritual and utopian aspect (
non-objective art). Guggenheim and Rebay initially considered building a museum at
Rockefeller Center in
Manhattan. , 1915,
Composition for "Jazz", oil on cardboard, 73 × 73 cm The foundation's first venue, the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, opened at 24 East 54th Street in midtown Manhattan in 1939, under Rebay's direction. He wanted to display the collection at the
1939 New York World's Fair in
Queens, but Rebay advocated for a more permanent location in Manhattan. and Rebay wanted to establish it before Guggenheim died. Rebay thought the 76-year-old Wright was dead, but Guggenheim's wife Irene Rothschild Guggenheim knew better and suggested that Rebay contact him. Wright accepted the opportunity to experiment with his "organic" style in an urban setting, saying that he had never seen a museum that was "properly designed". He was hired to design the building in June 1943. He was to receive a 10 percent
commission on the project, which was expected to cost at least $1 million. the cost eventually doubled from the initial estimate. Rebay envisioned a space that would facilitate a new way of seeing modern art. She wrote Wright that "each of these great masterpieces should be organized into space, and only you ... would test the possibilities to do so. ... I want a temple of spirit, a monument!" Critic
Paul Goldberger later wrote that Wright's modernist building was a catalyst for change, making it "socially and culturally acceptable for an architect to design a highly expressive, intensely personal museum. In this sense almost every museum of our time is a child of the Guggenheim." The Guggenheim is the only museum Wright designed; its urban location required him to design it in a vertical rather than horizontal form, far different from his earlier, rural works. at the
Vatican Museums designed by
Giuseppe Momo in 1932 From 1943 to early 1944, Wright produced four differing designs. One had a hexagonal shape and level floors for the galleries, though all the others had circular schemes and used a ramp continuing around the building. In his notes, he indicated that he wanted a "well proportioned floor space from bottom to top—a wheel chair going around and up and down". His original concept was called an inverted "
ziggurat", because it resembled the steep steps on the ziggurats built in ancient
Mesopotamia.
Site selection and announcement of plans Wright expected that the museum would be in
lower Manhattan. Instead, in March 1944, Rebay and Guggenheim acquired a site on Manhattan's
Upper East Side, at the corner of
89th Street and the
Museum Mile section of
Fifth Avenue, overlooking
Central Park. They considered numerous locations in Manhattan, as well as the
Riverdale section of the Bronx, overlooking the
Hudson River. Guggenheim felt that the Fifth Avenue site's proximity to Central Park was important, as the park afforded relief from the noise, congestion and concrete of the city. Wright's preliminary sketches fit the site nearly perfectly, although the site was about narrower than what Wright anticipated. Guggenheim approved Wright's sketches in mid-1944. Wright's designs were announced in July 1945, The structure's main feature was a main gallery with a helical ramp, surrounding a
lightwell with a skylight. Guests would board an elevator to reach the top; a second, steeper ramp would serve as an emergency exit. in addition to storage space, a library and a cafe. Preliminary plans also included apartments for Guggenheim and Rebay, but these plans were scrapped. Wright built a model of the museum at
Taliesin, his home in Wisconsin, and displayed it at the Plaza Hotel that September.
Difficulties The building's construction was delayed, first because of material shortages caused by World War II, Rebay and Wright disagreed over several aspects of the design, such as the means by which the paintings were to be mounted, although they both wanted the design to "reflect the unity of art and architecture". Wright continued to modify his plans during the late 1940s, largely because of concerns over the building's lighting, and created another model of the museum in 1947. The collection was greatly expanded in 1948 through the purchase of art dealer
Karl Nierendorf's estate of some 730 works. and William Muschenheim renovated an existing townhouse on the site, at 1071 Fifth Avenue, for the museum's use. Guggenheim's health was in decline, but he refused Wright's offer to downsize the planned building so it could be completed during Guggenheim's lifetime. Under Rebay's leadership, the museum had become what
Aline B. Saarinen described as an "esoteric, occult place in which a mystic language was spoken". Some of the museum's staff and trustees wished to oust Rebay and cancel Wright's design. To accommodate the growing collection, in August 1951 the Guggenheim Foundation acquired an apartment building at 1 East 88th Street to remodel for museum use. It now owned a continuous frontage on Fifth Avenue from 88th to 89th Street. This prompted Wright to redesign the new building yet again, proposing a multi-story annex with apartments behind the museum. Rebay, who disagreed with this policy, resigned as director of the museum in March 1952. Nevertheless, she left a portion of her personal collection to the foundation in her will. Shortly after Rebay resigned, Wright filed plans for the building, which was now projected to cost $2 million. He expanded the foundation's collecting criteria, rejecting Rebay's dismissal of "objective" painting and sculpture, and started exhibiting some of the works placed in storage under Rebay's leadership. In 1953, the museum hosted a retrospective of Wright's work, "Sixty Years of Living Architecture", in a temporary pavilion Wright had designed. Sweeney, who believed its architecture should be subservient to the art, forced Wright to redesign it to accommodate more offices and storage facilities. The
New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) also rejected Wright's application for a construction permit in 1953 because the design did not meet building codes. Wright tasked Holden with ensuring that the design met codes and published revised drawings in 1954 and 1956. Museum staff nevertheless complained that Wright's design did not provide enough storage or laboratory space. The museum rented the
Oliver Gould Jennings House at 7 East 72nd Street and relocated there before construction began. The DOB issued a construction permit on May 23, He wanted to change the color scheme, level out the sloping walls and remove the clerestory windows, which led to prolonged disputes with Wright. By early 1958,
Harry F. Guggenheim had to handle all communications between Sweeney and Wright, who would not speak to each other. The building
topped out in May 1958, and the scaffolding on the facade was removed by that August. Meanwhile, Wright published drawings of the design in several architectural magazines, as he feared the design would be compromised after his death. Against his request, Sweeney painted the walls white and hung paintings from metal bars instead of placing them directly on the walls. The building
soft-opened for members of the media on October 20, 1959. drawing 600 visitors per hour. Its design was generally able to accommodate the retrospectives and temporary exhibits that it hosted over the years. and H. H. Arnason took over as temporary director. He launched "the first survey of Abstract Expressionism in a New York museum" during his brief time as director.
Thomas M. Messer, director of the
Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, succeeded Sweeney as director in January 1961; he worked under Sweeney, who continued to run the foundation. Messer stayed for 27 years, the longest tenure of any director of a major New York art institution. Under his leadership, the museum's collection expanded significantly. The collection pivoted toward more contemporary artists, including those from Europe and Latin America, Messer was not considered "an especially controversial director", though he also did not adhere to "the blockbuster school of exhibiting".
1960s When Messer joined the Guggenheim, the museum's ability to present artworks was still doubted because of the tilted and curved walls. Almost immediately after becoming director, in 1962, he put on a large exhibition that combined the Guggenheim's paintings with
sculptures on loan from the
Hirshhorn collection. Though the combination proved generally to work well in the Guggenheim, Messer recalled that, at the time, "I was scared. I half felt that this would be my last exhibition." the Guggenheim hired Peters to renovate the monitor's second floor. The foundation auctioned off artwork from the 15th and 16th centuries, which was incompatible with the museum's modern-art collection. Rebay, who died in 1967, bequeathed over 600 artworks to the Guggenheim, although the museum did not receive the collection until 1971. To raise money for further acquisitions, such as the works in Rebay's collections, the Guggenheim also sold off some modern artwork, including several Kandinsky works. To accommodate the expanding collection, in 1963, the Guggenheim announced plans for a four-story annex, which the
New York City Board of Standards and Appeals approved the next year.
William Wesley Peters of
Taliesin Associated Architects, the successor firm to Wright's practice, designed the addition. The annex was downsized to two stories in 1966 due to complaints from local residents, and was completed in 1968.
1970s and 1980s In 1971, with increasing costs and decreasing endowment income, the Guggenheim recorded a large
deficit for the first time in its history. Additionally, although Wright had included space for a cafe at the southern end of the museum building, the space was instead used by the conservation and framing departments. but had difficulty agreeing on the plans, which were revised that November. As part of the project, designed by Donald E. Freed, the museum closed its driveway and added a dining area and bookstore there. Museum officials also planned to expand the annex on 89th Street. The Guggenheim renovated the Thannhauser wing in the early 1980s. Following these changes, John Russell of
The New York Times wrote that the Thannhauser Collection "may now be said to be the equivalent of
the Frick in the domain of modern art." In 1982,
Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects drew up designs for an 11-story annex on 88th Street behind the existing museum building. would have been cantilevered over the existing building. The design was downsized to 10 stories in early 1987 due to opposition from local residents. At the time, the building could only exhibit 150 pieces, about 3 percent of the museum's 5000-work collection. In anticipation of the annex's construction and a wider-ranging renovation of the older building, Gwathmey Siegel also renovated the Thannhauser wing's second floor and the top level of the main gallery's ramp in 1987. The Board of Standards and Appeals approved the 89th Street annex that October, despite continuing opposition. Messer retired the next month, on the 50th anniversary of the collection's founding. The
New York City Board of Estimate approved plans for the Guggenheim's annex in 1988, and the
New York Supreme Court upheld the Board of Estimate's decision.
Krens era Thomas Krens, former director of the
Williams College Museum of Art, took over as the director of both the museum and the foundation in January 1988. Over his nearly two-decade tenure, he led a rapid expansion of the museum's collections, and the museum mounted some of its most popular exhibitions, including "Africa: The Art of a Continent" in 1996; "China: 5,000 Years" in 1998; "Brazil: Body & Soul" in 2001; and "The Aztec Empire" in 2004. Unusual exhibitions included "
The Art of the Motorcycle", an
industrial design installation of motorcycles. The Guggenheim Museum SoHo, designed by
Arata Isozaki, opened in June 1992 at the corner of
Broadway and Prince Street in
SoHo, Manhattan. The SoHo building's exhibits included
Marc Chagall and the Jewish Theater,
Paul Klee at the Guggenheim Museum,
Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective and
Andy Warhol: The Last Supper. and closed in 2002. Work commenced in late 1989. The museum initially remained open, but later closed for 18 months. The monitor wing was restored, the 88th Street wing was converted from a conservation laboratory to a restaurant, and additional exhibition space was created at the top of the main gallery. The windows were replaced and the clerestory windows along the ramp were unsealed and restored to their original design. The building's exhibition space roughly doubled, allowing the museum to show 6 percent of its collection. The renovation was completed on June 27, 1992. The museum's offices were moved to the annex, the basement and the former Guggenheim Museum SoHo, and storage space and
conservation activities were moved to other buildings. The foundation acquired 200 photographs from
Robert Mapplethorpe in 1992 and renamed the annex's fourth-floor gallery after him in 1993. To finance the renovation and new acquisitions, the foundation sold works by Kandinsky,
Chagall and
Modigliani, raising $47 million. This move was controversial, drawing considerable criticism for trading masters for "trendy" latecomers. In
The New York Times, critic
Michael Kimmelman wrote that the sales "stretched the accepted rules of
deaccessioning further than many American institutions have been willing to do." Krens defended the action as consistent with the museum's principles by expanding its international collection and building its "postwar collection to the strength of our pre-war holdings", and noted that museums regularly conduct such sales. Krens was also criticized for his businesslike style and perceived populism and commercialization. One writer commented, "Krens has been both praised and vilified for turning what was once a small New York institution into a worldwide brand, creating the first truly multinational arts institution. ... Krens transformed the Guggenheim into one of the best-known brand names in the arts." The museum cut back its operating hours in 1994, causing a 25 percent decline in annual attendance, even as the city's other art museums saw increased attendance.
Samuel J. LeFrak announced in December 1993 that he would donate $10 million, the largest cash donation in the museum's history, with the Fifth Avenue building to be renamed for him and his wife. The next month,
Ronald O. Perelman announced that he would also donate $10 million. The
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), which had designated the building as a landmark, repeatedly refused to allow officials to place a sign with LeFrak's name outside the building. Consequently, LeFrak rescinded $8 million of his donation. for the restoration of the museum's auditorium, which was renamed the Peter B. Lewis Theater after the project was completed the next year. Lewis donated an additional $50 million in 1998, and several other trustees, including Perelman, increased their donations. it was renamed the Gail May Engelberg Center for Arts Education in 2022. It remained in place for six years after the retrospective ended. After architects and engineers determined that the building was structurally sound, renovations began in September 2005 to repair cracks and modernize systems and exterior details. The restoration mainly consisted of exterior and infrastructure upgrades, preserving as many historical details as possible while allowing museum operations to continue. On September 22, 2008, the Guggenheim celebrated the project's completion with the premiere of artist
Jenny Holzer's tribute
For the Guggenheim. The renovation cost $29 million and was funded by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's board of trustees, the city's
Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York state government and MAPEI Corporation. Meanwhile, during the early 2000s, Krens was involved in a long-running dispute with Lewis, who was also chairman of the foundation's board of directors. When admission declined by 60 percent following the
September 11 attacks in 2001, the museum faced budgetary deficits, as one-quarter of its revenue came from ticket sales. Lewis donated $12 million to the museum in 2002 under the condition that Krens tighten the budget. Despite having given $77 million, more than any other donor in the Guggenheim's history, Lewis did not have as much influence over the board's decisions as did top donors at the city's other art museums. Longtime curator
Lisa Dennison was hired as the museum's new director in 2005, working under Krens, who continued to direct the foundation. By 2006, the museum faced a $35 million deficit, even as Dennison rejected the idea of funding exhibits through corporate sponsorships. Dennison resigned in July 2007 to work at auction house
Sotheby's. Tensions between Krens and the board continued, and Krens stepped down as foundation director in February 2008.
The New York Times said the Guggenheim Foundation had selected him because his "calmer, steadier presence" contrasted with the "nearly 20 often tumultuous years of Mr. Krens's maverick vision". In addition to its permanent collections, which continued to grow under his direction, The museum hosted exhibitions such as
America (2016), one of the smallest ever hosted there. About 140 maintenance workers and art installers joined a
labor union in 2019, the first time the museum's employees had unionized. That year,
Chaédria LaBouvier became the first black woman curator to create a solo exhibition and first black person to write a text published by the museum. Within a month of these criticisms, the museum hired its first full-time black curator,
Ashley James. An investigation by a law firm hired by the museum found "no evidence that Ms. LaBouvier was subject to adverse treatment on the basis of her race". The Guggenheim approved a plan for increasing racial diversity in August 2020, and it hired a "chief culture and inclusion officer" in 2021. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Guggenheim temporarily closed in March 2020. It reopened that October, recording a monthly net loss of $1.4 million while closed. It fired numerous staff members during the pandemic. In 2022, the Guggenheim began hosting a poet-in-residence program, the first such program at a visual-art museum. Armstrong announced in mid-2022 that he planned to resign in 2023, and he left the museum at the end of 2023.
Westermann and Chiu In June 2024, Mariët Westermann became the Guggenheim's first female director. She had been the vice chancellor of
New York University Abu Dhabi since 2019, was its provost when it was formed in 2007 and was responsible for, among other things, its first climate action plan. Amid finance difficulties at the museum, Westermann terminated about 7% of its staff in early 2025. Westermann subsequently became the Guggenheim Foundation's director and chief executive, overseeing the foundation's other museums. Westermann hired
Melissa Chiu, the Director of the
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum's director, to take effect in September 2026. == Architecture ==