Modernist Architecture: Modern Museums of Art

What makes museums of modern art stand out, important, and make a lasting impact from one another? What caused some of them to ultimately succeed or fail? How did they impact the design and architecture of modern museums for the future?

 Museums of the modern Era were once museums of the future. They were ideas which were planned, designed, and built with the intensions to become a spot on the map, so people would be attracted and come to that area. My research project focuses on museums of modern art that both house modern art, and that were built during the architectural period of modernism (beginning in the late 1920's). These museums are: The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, The National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates.

What exactly is modernist architecture? This style is all about minimalism, clean, sharp lines, organic shapes, bright light, whites and darks with splashes of color, an abundance of space, the use of a lot of glass, asymmetry, and most importantly form to follow function. Their architectural design and way in which they display their modern art go hand in hand. The building and art within were meant to complement each other to create a modern look and experience.

The theme shared by all the museums I researched is that of form, function, and cultural impact. They are landmarks both big and small of their respective cities and societies. Their design is grounded in the definition of modernist architecture; the idea that form should follow function, an embrace of minimalism, and a rejection of ornament.^[1] They are built in a modernist way to reflect the modern people in today’s society and the importance of their culture. These museums are works of art inside and out, all unique, based on education and advancement of technology both architecturally and in the experience they give to the people who visit.

My research led me to an understanding of the influences modern museums of art have on their communities’ culture all around the world when they were built during the period of modernism as well as today. In addition, in my research I compare the innovation of the Guggenheim's architecture to other modern museums of art. This will allow me to link the landmarks and explain how they each played an important role in defining a part of their city's culture and how they fit into modernist period of architecture. I was able to get answers as to why modernist museums became known as ones where the design of the building should complement and interact with the modern artwork inside.

1. "Modernism." RIBA. January 01, 2017. Accessed November 27, 2018. https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/modernism.