Solomon R Guggenheim Museum

A sculpture in its own right, Frank Lloyd Wright’s sweeping spiral building almost overshadows the collection of 20th-century art housed in this museum. Because of its unusual design, the building sparked controversy during its construction in the 1950s, but today it’s a distinctive landmark that architects fiddle with at their peril. An unpopular 1992 renovation added an adjoining, 10-story tower that does indeed bear a striking resemblance to a toilet – just as the critics feared – despite being based on Wright’s original drawings. Most recently, the Wright-designed exterior, whose concrete had been plagued by surface cracks practically since the day it opened, went through a lengthy restoration and repair project.

After admiring the new exterior, head inside to view some of the museum’s 5000 permanent works (plus changing exhibitions) on a path that coincides with Wright’s coiled design; you can take the elevator to the top and wind your way down. The Guggenheim’s collection includes works by Picasso, Chagall, Pollock and Kandinsky. In 1976 Justin Thannhauser’s major donation of impressionist and modern works added paintings by Monet, Van Gogh and Degas. In 1992, the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation gave 200 photographs to the museum, spurring curators to devote the 4th floor to photography exhibitions. Note that you can purchase tickets online in advance via the museum’s website, which lets you avoid the sometimes­-brutal lines to get in.