The Role of Technology in Making of Guggenheim Bilbao by Frank Gehry

Introduction

The paper is trying to understand the impact of technology in the making of architectural wonders such as Guggenheim Bilbao museum. Established in 1997, the museum offers swirling facades and complex geometrical shapes that was almost impossible to build accurately due to the complexity of different sections. Hence, the aid of computer technology was required in the design and construction process. The software used in the design of the museum is known as “Digital Project”. It is a CAD technology application based on CATIA V5 with functionalities such as: generative surfaces design, project organization, parametric 3D surfaces, free-style surface modelling (NURBS), design to fabrication, dynamic sectioning, revision tracking and part comparison, advanced solids modelling and integration. The CATIA (Computer Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application) application used is very similar in the functional aspects to BIM software such as ArchiCAD and Revit.

Though the structure of the Guggenheim may appear to be somewhat “deformed”, the fact is that it has been precisely calculated, with no two joints being the same in the whole building. Hence the importance of the computer-aided design and calculations. The finish of the approximately 42,875 extremely thin titanium sheets offers a rough and organic effect, adding to the material's colour changes depending on the weather and light conditions. The other two materials used in the building, limestone and glass, harmonize perfectly, achieving an architectural design with a great visual impact that has now become a real icon of the city throughout the world. What the paper is trying to understand is how this technology aided in the making of this master-piece. Not only did the software aid in making of the museum, it also gave other architect’s the opportunity to design without getting worried about the complexity of curves, structural load, quantities and cost. The essay tries to understand the role technology played that was played in the making of Guggenheim Bilbao which inspired and led many architects into putting more trust in technology by letting software handle bulk of the calculations.

After establishing his firm in Los Angeles in 1962, Gehry turned it into a successful practice. One of the first recognition Gehry received and was highly praised for was the renovation of his home ‘Gehry Residence’ in 1978. It was an extension of an original Dutch style colonial style home with primary materials like chain-link fences and corrugated steel. This was a decade where 2D technology used for design and engineering had started being extensively used in many architecture firms. Gehry went on to design many renowned buildings Santa Monica Place in 1980, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in 1981, Norton House in 1984, etc.

In many of Gehry’s works he has tried to break the symmetry by eliminating straight lines and creating complex curves. This kind of approach was highly troublesome for Gehry as the technology in 70’s and 80’s didn’t consider double curve surfaces and could not give an accurate feedback on the geometry of items required for construction. While most of the architecture industry in the 70’s decade was gradually moving into 2D CAD software platform, another development was taking place in the aviation industry which was going to pave the way for architects such as Frank Gehry and his non-conventional designs.

Frank Gehry had a fascination with fish ever since he was a kid. When he was a child, Gehry’s grandmother took him to a Jewish market in Toronto to buy live carp to make gefilte fish. He said “She’d put it in the bathtub, fill the bathtub with water, and this big black carp — two or three feet long — would swim around in the bathtub and I would play with it. I would stand up there and watch it turn and twist”. Gehry gained the contract to design Peix a fish sculpture commissioned for 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it faced a lot of difficulties to construct due to its odd shape. Gehry told his team to figure out a way to build it. This is where Jim Glymph a ‘resident hippie’ at Gehry’s practice suggested to use CATIA, Dassault’s software formerly developed to design fighter jets. The project was a success and Gehry started inclining towards technology to solve design and construction problems.

CATIA – Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application – is a 3D Product Lifecycle Management program that supports product development from design to the manufacturing and construction stage. CATIA can be used to create 3D parts made of sheet metal, composites or molds, based on digital 3D sketches. It was the first CAD/CAE/CAM software created. Originally called CATI (Conception Assistée Tridimensionnelle Interactive – French for Interactive Aided Three-dimensional Design), it was developed in 1977 as a surface modeler to assist in designing the Dassault fighter jets.

Based on ten years of 3-D mathematics research, the program allowed designers and engineers to create complex three-dimensional forms and provide documents for manufacturing. This program is not limited to the aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding fields, it can be used to design electrical and HVAC systems. Frank Gehry’s curvilinear designs have been modelled using CATIA.

Even though Gehry had technology at his disposal Gehry never gave up on sketching his designs. Gehry designs his building by scribbling a sketch almost a doodle that depicts the image of the building.

One of Gehry’s other quote: “I think my best skill as an architect is the achievement of hand-to-eye coordination. I am able to transfer a sketch into a model into the building” (Gehry).

With such comprehensive information provided by CATIA, the manufacturers and contractors hired for Bilbao could do their job in inexpensive manner, while doing it with a great accuracy, and in a short period. Though, not everyone was impressed by CATIA in the beginning and a problem that came up was that Gehry, of Frank O. Gehry and Associates, was, at first, against the use of computers in his design process. He disliked it initially due to the limitation in symmetries, mirror imagery, and “simple Euclidean geometries. It was not able to replicate or even come close to the sketch at first. “I just didn’t like the images of the computer,” said Gehry, “but as soon as I found a way to use it to build, then I connected.”

Instead of generating standard 2D construction drawings, Gehry now had his contractors refer straight to the 3D digital model, interpreting digitized coordinates directly into manual cutting commands and machine tooling paths. Gehry realized that being an architect who knew how to “be the Daddy” on a project was not only a competitive advantage, but also a new business model that could transform the industry (Frausto-Robledo). Gehry was successfully able to complete the Bilbao project on time. It was said that Bilbao is 20 years ahead of its time. The project gave rise to a term called “the Bilbao Effect” a phenomenon whereby cultural investment plus showy architecture is supposed to equal economic uplift for cities down on their luck. The cost of the project was shortly retrieved after the massive number of tourists flooding in from various parts of the world to witness the marvel.

Conclusion

Gehry never knew how to use a computer still his firm which later went on to establish Gehry Technologies is a pioneer to foster the digitalization of architecture around the globe.The use of technology in making of Bilbao is certainly one of the greatest examples of how a design which seems almost impossible to build can be constructed with proper its use.

Gehry technologies later goes on to teach its competitors on the use of CATIA later versions which had architecture capabilities merged into it. The use of these technology was done by many other firms such as Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, Herzog + de Meuron’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the entrance hall for Skidmore, Owings + Merrill’s Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai (currently the world’s tallest building). The technology enabled many future projects to break the boundaries of conventional shapes and experiment with unconventional design.

Back in the days where people were still moving into 2D and hand drafting was still in practice in most firms Gehry was one of the first to have merged digital technology into architecture. It was almost out of necessity that he had to come with a solution to build his designs which were unconventional in shape, size and form. Hence, digital technology was introduced into his design for the very first time. The future adaptations of CATIA which were seen in software such as REVIT, NAVISWORKS, SOLID WORKS and many more. AEC industry has already started adapting to the new era of technology which was made possible by an Architect who didn’t even know how to use a computer.

The Guggenheim building was not constructed without its difficulties. And it also marked a turning point in architecture and building techniques and our understanding of construction methods. It became a benchmark for as a museum and as an artwork. The museum still attracts many tourists to Bilbao and stands tall as an icon of a technological achievement in the architecture industry.

Bibliography

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5. Martinez, Marcos. “How do you build a Guggenheim museum?” 19 October 2017. ferrovial.com.