Seattle – MoPOP

August 5, 2025

Frank Gehry’s undulating, metallic form houses the Museum of Pop Culture (originally the Experience Music Project), a museum founded by Microsoft co‑founder Paul Allen and opened in 2000. The building’s colorful skin and sculptural volumes were inspired in part by deconstructed electric guitars, a nod to Seattle’s deep musical lineage from Jimi Hendrix to grunge.

Over the years, the institution broadened beyond music to film, science fiction, gaming, and contemporary pop culture, officially adopting the MoPOP name in 2016. The museum anchors the Seattle Center campus next to the Space Needle—seen here from 325 5th Ave N—and remains a striking piece of 21st‑century architecture.