06/08/2026
Meet Puppy — the giant flower-covered West Highland Terrier that has become the unofficial mascot of Bilbao.
Created by American artist Jeff Koons in 1992, this massive sculpture stands over 40 feet (12.4 meters) tall and is built around a steel frame filled with soil and an internal irrigation system. More than 35,000 flowers are planted throughout the structure and replaced seasonally, allowing Puppy to constantly change colors throughout the year. (Guggenheim Bilbao Museum)
What makes it even more fascinating is the blend of old and new. Koons used sophisticated computer modeling to create a modern version of the elaborate topiary gardens popular in 18th-century Europe. (Atlas Obscura)
Originally created for an exhibition in Germany, Puppy found its permanent home outside the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao when the museum opened in 1997. Koons said he wanted the sculpture to inspire “optimism, confidence, and security”—and judging by the smiles it attracts every day, he succeeded. (Guggenheim Bilbao Museum)
