In Minneapolis, a pretty home for art!

I have been to most of the museums in India and what stands out in my memory is that while the exhibits in the museum were really interesting, none of the buildings that housed them were noteworthy. In contrast is the Frederick R Weisman Art Museum, which is located at the University of Minnesota campus in the city of Minneapolis. Wow! What a pretty home for art.

The museum is classified as a teaching museum for the university. It has been in existence since 1934 but its present home was designed by the famous Pritzker Prize-winning architect and designer Frank Gehry, and was completed in 1993.

The building’s stainless steel structure was fabricated and installed by A Zahner Company. Gehry collaborated with this company frequently and the synergy is evident in the beauty and polish of the museum.

This building stands out as an example of unique architecture and is one of the major landmarks on the University’s campus. It is situated on a bluff (a cliff or hill with a broad steep face.) It overlooks the Mississippi river and is at the end of an important bridge — the Washington Avenue Bridge.

The interesting feat about its architecture is that the building looks different, depending on which side one sees it from. From the campus side, it shows a brick façade which meshes with the brick and sandstone buildings of the University. On the opposite side, there is an abstraction of a waterfall and a fish in curving and angular-brushed steel sheets.