Bilbao was transformed into a cultural city when the Guggenheim Museum opened its doors 20 years ago. The Frank Gehry-designed structure is now a municipal landmark. In recent years, the term "Guggenheim impact" has gained use. It refers to the influence that the museum has had on the development of contemporary art worldwide. The story of how the Guggenheim came to Bilbao begins in 1925, when New York City collector Solomon R. Guggenheim decided to build a museum of world art on land he had bought in Spain. The museum was to be an extension of the private collection he had built up over the previous decades. It was to be located in Barcelona but the Spanish Civil War broke out that year, and all construction was stopped. The museum was never built. In 1977, the Guggenheim Foundation was founded in New York City by Peggy and Peter Guggenheim's children to manage their parents' artistic legacy. The foundation commissioned American architect Frank O. Gehry to design a new museum for its site in Manhattan's Upper East Side. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on January 15, 1991, and the museum opened its doors to the public on July 7, 1997. The Guggenheim Foundation chose Bilbao as the site for the second Guggenheim Museum because of its strong tradition as a center for art and industry.