The Guggenheim Museum, New York

This site is the central area for Guggenheim's museums in New York, Venice, Berlin, Bilbao and Las Vegas. If you click on any of the last four destinations you will enter into a microsite detailing information on temporary and permanant collections, visitor information and various online shops. The New York site is the main page of course. The quality of the images and the collections described on this homepage draw you into this ravishing site. Some of the high-definition images could perhaps have a bit more accompanying text but the histories of the unique Guggenheim building and its designer Frank Lloyd Wright are analysed in sumptuous detail. The wealth of detail is supplemented by links to the lectures schedule (click on the Education/Programs link), which describes the various tours and lectures covering the design of this unique building. Follow the links to the exhibitions area for a full account of the temporary and permanant galleries in the museum. .


Another interesting feature is the account of the new building's design and construction itself. By searching the design diary one can see the models depicting the building at various stages of completion



The site is well-designed and navigation works well. Generally, though, there is a sense of an opportunity missed. The shop is impressive but the details of the collection are sparse, not matching up to the museum's stature. One possible explanation is that the curators are keeping their powder dry and waiting for the further development of the virtual Guggenheim.



SPECIAL FEATURES



Museum Store: The Guggenheim boasts a superb online store. The product range is large and pieces or artists from the collection inspire most of the objects. Everything is of a high quality and priced to match, especially the pieces in the collectors section. Some of the products are divided according to their potential use; for the home or the office, for example. Payment is accepted via all the usual credit cards and the level of security is as high as you'd expect from such an august institution.



A wonderful collection and setting, nicely explored and illustrated.