NEW YORK, June 10 (UPI) -- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is set for a major facelift to repair cracks, leaks and corrosion at one of New York's most popular art museums.
The spiraling structure, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and which opened in 1959, is considered "the most important piece of art in the collection," Peter B. Lewis, the museum's board chairman, said in Thursday's New York Times.
Indeed, the majority of visitors to the Guggenheim come to see the building first and the art inside, second, the Times said.
Restoration, expected to take two years, will include removing nine coats of paint to fix the structure's cracking surface, repairing the sidewalk, restoring the terrazzo floor in the main rotunda and updating climate and security systems.
The museum's foundation has raised $20 million of the $25 million needed, primarily through the generosity of Lewis, who pledged to match trustee gifts 3-to-1.
The Guggenheim will remain open to visitors during the reconstruction.
