Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum transformed museum architecture when it opened in 1959, six months after Frank Lloyd Wright's death. Wright designed the building as a "temple of spirit" where visitors would take an elevator to the top and descend a continuous spiral ramp, viewing art along the way. The inverted ziggurat form shocked New York, and artists protested that the slanted walls would distort their paintings. Solomon Guggenheim, a copper mining magnate, began collecting abstract art in the 1920s under the guidance of artist Hilla von Rebay, who became the museum's first director.

The collection focuses on modern and contemporary art, particularly abstract painting. Works by Kandinsky, whom Guggenheim collected extensively, form the core holdings. The museum also owns important pieces by Paul Klee, Mondrian, and later abstract expressionists. The building was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, recognizing Wright's architectural masterpiece. The museum expanded with a tower addition in 1992.