Built as an art museum, the Guggenheim takes the form of a single continuous spiral ramp that one walks along to view the artwork on display. This spiral is clearly expressed on both the outside and the atrium inside, creating a unity between the interior and exterior experience of the building.

The greatest criticism of this building has been that the art of the building takes precedence over the art that it is meant to house, rather than the other way around. The spiral walkway is continuosly sloped, so that it is not ideal for stopping to view an individual work. The walls are concave and sloped outwards, making it difficult to hang paintings. Furthermore, the lack of depth of the walkway means that the building cannot easily accomodate sculptures.