Abstract
This research studies the characteristics of Gehry's museums in relation to his outlook on architecture, and considers the significances of his museums in the contemporary museum architecture as follows; (1) Complex characteristics of Gehry's museums are well brought out in two features: contrastive combination between regular forms and irregular forms from the viewpoint of material and shape as a result of his architectural inclination, fragmentalization and dualism, and the relief of formal heterogeneity of compositional volumes. (2) This complex composition in Gehry's museums reveals strong existence through the birth of sculptural museums which encourage 4 dimensional experience from the interior and exterior. (3) These characteristics of his museums speak for a tendency of the contemporary museum which is becoming a medium for popular entertainment. This has been achieved not by local advantage, enlargement of educational or convenience facilities but by the influence of architecture itself. (4) In spite of Gehry's radical point of view on the character of exhibition space, we can confirm that he has tried to give minimal stability necessary for appreciation to his exhibition spaces. Gehry's museums came into being between his radical experimentalism and practical professionalism. His museums fill the social role of the contemporary museum, 'popularization of culture'.