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That's what architect Frank Gehry says was asked of him when he designed the University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum.

When the building on the banks of the Mississippi River opened in 1993, it created quite a stir in the Twin Cities. Many people didn't know what to make of its curves and sharp angles of shiny stainless steel. 

Here's how a few MPR News listeners described it:

One person even suggested, "They oughta recycle it." 

At the building's grand opening, Gehry laughed off the criticism. 

"Most buildings are ordinary," he told MPR News reporter Chris Roberts. "And ordinary buildings don't get any response. Nobody cares." 

Still, he says he wasn't trying to shock anyone with the design. In fact, he said then-University President Nils Hasselmo asked him specifically to avoid brick. 

"I was trying to give the building an art presence on a campus that is all brick," he said. 

However, he admitted to "agonizing" about the shiny exterior. He had originally considered using a sand-blasted stainless steel but when he stopped by the construction site on a gray August day, he and his son thought it looked dull. 

They came back about a week later — which happened to be another gray day — and decided, "we gotta go for the shiny stuff." 

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When it opened in 1993, many people didn't know what to make of the building's curves and sharp angles of shiny stainless steel.

At the building's grand opening in 1993, MPR reporter Chris Roberts talked to architect Frank Gehry about the design and the decision to put such a highly reflective material on the side which faced the river.

Architect Frank Gehry on the design of the Weisman Art Museum

In 1993 when the University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum was completed on the banks of the Mississippi River, it created quite a stir in the Twin Cities. Many people didn't know what to make of the building's exterior which features a whimsical jumble of curves and sharp angles made from shiny stainless steel. At the building's grand opening, MPR reporter Chris Roberts talked to architect Frank Gehry about the design and the decision to use such a highly reflective material.

Not another brick lump: Why Gehry gave the Weisman its iconic look

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