Towards a new museum

The late 20th century has seen a great increase not only in the number of museums but also in the ways in which they are designed. Author examines art museums built during the 1980s and 1990s and describes how the buildings fit into the history of ideas about the proper function of museums. She discusses whether art museums should be designed to surprise and delight or to instruct and uplift? Should the museum building be a temple of art or an entertainment complex? In different segments of the book, she discusses private museums, museums that function as temples of art, museums devoted to one artist, and museums designed by artists. Rotterdam Kunsthal en Bilbao Guggenheim represent what may be the most significant development: the museum that is as important architecturally as it is for the art it contains. These designs point the way toward a new museum for the 21st century.