The plans for Guggenheim Helsinki might be on ice, but in Bilbao, the design of a Guggenheim-affiliated hot dog cart is hot hot hot. Created with the "digital craftsmanship" of architectural firm Arquimaña, the Salchibotxo, as they’ve named it, remixes the time-worn image of local food vendors with the sleek clean lines of modern design.
The combo of high design and low street food culture is a cheeky mashup for the Guggenheim Bilbao’s new food cart. The mobile structure is made primarily of natural oak strips with white perforated aluminum shutters that fold outwards to make a sun shade. An additional food-prep space also folds down to make a waist-high counter. It’s very cute.
The cart serves artisanal sausages, of course. It’s a seasonal spin-off of the museum’s existing bistro.
The relationship between Guggenheim museums and nearby hot dog carts is a surprisingly rich one. There was a mighty kerfuffle in New York City in 2010 when Guggenheim officials objected to the "visually disruptive" carts of hot dog vendors in front of the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building. The museum even went so far as to commission the design of a more appropriate food kiosk to replace the offensive carts outside the building. But the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted it down.
At least one Guggenheim museum will now have the hot dog cart it deserves.