Dome

Detail, steel support structure for stainless steel skin, where it attaches to brick facade, seen from underneath; An art museum located on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis; a teaching museum for the university. Since the late 1980s Gehry has experimented with the sensuous possibilities of metallic surfaces. The sculptural surfaces of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum reflect the modern art contained in the building but typical of Gehry's work, the interior spaces are comfortable and functional. It is situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River at the east end of the Washington Avenue Bridge. From the campus side, it presents a brick facade that blends with the existing brick and sandstone buildings. On the opposite side, the facade is a playground of curving and angular brushed steel sheets. Gehry's design for the Weisman won the prestigious Progressive Architecture Design Award in 1991. The stainless steel skin was fabricated and installed by the A. Zahner Company, a frequent collaborator with Gehry's office. A new addition, also designed by Gehry provides five new galleries; it opened in October of 2011. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ (accessed 7/21/2012)