MUSEUM: Ex-Guggenheim Director betting on Bilbao-Style Project for Baku (eurasianet.org)

By Shahin Abbasov

Thomas Krens, the influential former Guggenheim Museum director who oversaw the museum’s dynamic, yet controversial expansion to Bilbao, Spain, now has energy-rich Baku, Azerbaijan, in his sights.
At first glance, Krens’ vision for Baku -- conceived by his New York City-based consulting group, Global Cultural Asset Management (GCAM), along with the American firm Asymptote Architecture -- might be taken for another one of Dubai’s seaside fantasy palaces. The project features a circular walkway projecting out into the Caspian Sea that is dotted with works by celebrity artists Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Anish Kapoor. It also envisions a high-rise tower by Guggenheim Bilbao architect Frank Gehry. The walkway, a projected 90-minute stroll, would be anchored to the Baku shoreline by a Bilbao-style modern art museum, as depicted in a YouTube video posted by Asymptote Architecture.

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BAKU AZERBAIJAN ECO CULTURAL MASTER PLAN by Asymptote Architecture