In terms of published information, The Bilbao Effect has generated a plethora of
small and large writings. Primarily, the detractors are quite vocal and primarily
ensconced in two camps. There are those who fear that the Guggenheim upstages the
art it houses and those who fear the cookie-cutter syndrome of architectural repetition. If
we examine those two critical camps, we find that there is an echo of the Deutsche
Werkbund debate. On the one hand, critics state that the Guggenheim Bilbao is too
expressive and theatrical (artistic?); and on the other, there are those who fear its
continual replication (“template” design). For example, Hilton Kramer, noted
architectural historian and critic, has stated that the Guggenheim Bilbao is “a diversion
and a distraction” motivated by “tourism and trophy architecture.”107 Martin Filler, also a
well-known critic, has stated that the museum represents “a worldwide frenzy for
museum architecture as a tourist destination and public spectacle rather than a home for
art.”108 The issues at hand can best be described as style over substance, which leads
into the second fundamental issue. Critics fear the idea of “branding,” whereby a
corporate signature takes precedent over “true architecture.” Scores of architectural
critics have had negative reactions to signature packaging of world-wide corporate
buildings. Of course, this criticism is largely centered on the issue of replication. Many
critics are offended by the idea of marketing a building as one would a commercial sign
or corporate logo. As an example of this, critics often cite McDonald’s architecture.
They maintain that the building is not architecture, it is a sign. In fact, the term
“McDonaldization” has become a viable term for dialogue among architects