Sondika Airport,
architect: Santiago Calatrava, 1990-2000.

My stylin' diggs at the Hotel Nervion.

View of closet that can double as an elevator

Zubisuri Pedestrian Bridge, architect: Santiago Calatrava, 1997.

Markus Lüpertz, Lilith

Stairs I climbed on another of the bridges over the Nervion river (the Principes de España bridge).

detail of mural.

The Guggengheim Bilbao from the Pedro Arrupe bridge.

The Guggenheim Bilbao from the Principes de España bridge

The Guggenheim Bilbao from the Principes de España bridge

The Guggenheim Bilbao from the Principes de España bridge

Louise Bourgeois Spider (probably titled Nesting Instinct), from across the river. Notice the fog machine effects. At night periodically flames erupt from the pond.

detail of Louis Bourgeois Spider showing eggs.

Looking back at the spider and the backside of the Gehry tower on the Principes de España bridge

detail of the Gehry tower.

View from terraced/bricked walkway.

to the right is the large staircase with very uncomfortably-spaced steps you have to ascend to get to the entrance of the museum.

Entrance side of the Guggenheim Bilbao with Jeff Koon's Puppy, 1997.

Detail of Puppy, which is planted with flowers four times a year (makes it the sculptural equivalent of the gardens of Versailles outside Paris).

Current planting was all different color pansies, which made this sculpture smell terrifico!

So from the top of those stairs you have to turn around and walk DOWN another set of uncomfortably-spaced steps to get to the entrance. Rumor has it that Gehry was trying to reverse the "grand staircase" idea from Palaces of the 17-18th centuries. Conceptually it works but from a practical standpoint it sucks.