New Grand Rapids Art Museum

[therustymitten]

The construction cam doesn't seem to be functioning properly. Is anybody else having this problem?

[jbr12]

I am actually very surprised in the fact that the lantern glass doesn't align with the concrete panel lines, especially given the amount of detail and crazy work that has gone into this thing from the design/documentation end of the project... maybe I can ask someone

[sparky05]

Crap. Tear it down and start over.

[jbr12]

Ok, just got information from the source...

The reason the glass doesn't line up with the concrete has to do with size of the structural glass panels (Notice no vertical mulls) vs size of the concrete panels.

[GRDadof3]

Ok, just got information from the source...

The reason the glass doesn't line up with the concrete has to do with size of the structural glass panels (Notice no vertical mulls) vs size of the concrete panels.

Wasn't the concrete cast-in-place? Or were they prefab panels in those sections (can't remember)? Couldn't they have sized the concrete sections to match the glass?

[GRguy]

or divided the panels into smaller pieces to line them up...I don't know if I can sleep at night...

[andrew.w]

The lanterns aren't the only place this happens. Didn't golscorer bring this up a couple months ago concerning the cafe glass along Monroe?

[jbr12]

Wasn't the concrete cast-in-place? Or were they prefab panels in those sections (can't remember)? Couldn't they have sized the concrete sections to match the glass?

The lanterns are cast in place concrete if I remember right. When I asked the Designer about the lanterns, we actually ended up in a fairly long conversations comparing world wide construction quality and craftsmanship vs american quality and craftsmanship and the push in the USA for speed and money. My take is, if they could've had the time and resources to get everything lined up and perfect looking they would've done so without hesitation. The designer actually mentioned the big disappointment right now is how stark white the sealant is around the lantern glass, thats how meticulous they have been trying to be throughout the process

[sparky05]

Three down:

[GRDadof3]

Three down:

Beautiful! It looks great from the corner of Pearl and Monroe, but it's really hard to photograph from there with all the trees and traffic lights.

[mpchicago]

It looks like they are still behind schedule. GRAM had originally released details on a staggered opening with the Peter Wege Plaza, Cafe, and Lobby opening this June, and July. It's been removed from their website. Wonder if they will be able to make it for the Gala opening in October?

[Eridony]

It looks like they are still behind schedule. GRAM had originally released details on a staggered opening with the Peter Wege Plaza, Cafe, and Lobby opening this June, and July. It's been removed from their website. Wonder if they will be able to make it for the Gala opening in October?

I wonder the same thing. Maybe they are doing alot of work on the inside, but to me if feels like they're crawling on the outside work.

[tamias6]

If they are behind schedule, I'm willing to wait out the extra time. With a building like this I'd rather see GRAM and the workers take all the time needed to get it done right from start to finish rather than turning things into a rush job and botching the place up.

[MJLO]

The one thing that struck me when I was in town two months ago was how good it looked from pearl and monroe. A visitor entering downtown from Pearl, would most likely be impressed by the grand view of it.

[sparky05]

Today:

I have to say this: I was in milwaukee yesterday and got a chance to walk through Calatrava's gorgeous addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. I know that it's sort of comparing apples to oranges because of differences in the setting of the two buildings, but I'm left with the feeling that GRAM ends up looking like a big boxy box of crap compared to this:

On the bright side, at least it looks like we're getting a Calatrava-esque cable-stayed bridge on medical hill...

[Veloise]

It looks like they are still behind schedule. GRAM had originally released details on a staggered opening with the Peter Wege Plaza, Cafe, and Lobby opening this June, and July. It's been removed from their website. Wonder if they will be able to make it for the Gala opening in October?

Saw a cool photo of kids helping to relocate the stock of a new library. Very long bucket/book brigade line.

GRAM ought to ask for help...we'd do it.

[jbr12]

I somehow think the books in a public library are a little less expensive in comparison to the art collection at the GRAM. Dropping one or two of those books might not be a big deal... drop one or two of the art pieces, you could be in a boat load of trouble!

Re: the comparison with the Milwaukee Art Museum... definitely Apples to Oranges... no way to possibly compare

[suydam]

Today:

I have to say this: I was in milwaukee yesterday and got a chance to walk through Calatrava's gorgeous addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. I know that it's sort of comparing apples to oranges because of differences in the setting of the two buildings, but I'm left with the feeling that GRAM ends up looking like a big boxy box of crap compared to this:

On the bright side, at least it looks like we're getting a Calatrava-esque cable-stayed bridge on medical hill...

Those interior shots are incredible! I'm awestruck.

[sparky05]

Re: the comparison with the Milwaukee Art Museum... definitely Apples to Oranges... no way to possibly compare

With regard to their settings, yes. With regard to the feeling that the building that you are walking into/around is itself a work of art, well...

[GRDadof3]

Today:

I have to say this: I was in milwaukee yesterday and got a chance to walk through Calatrava's gorgeous addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. I know that it's sort of comparing apples to oranges because of differences in the setting of the two buildings, but I'm left with the feeling that GRAM ends up looking like a big boxy box of crap compared to this:

On the bright side, at least it looks like we're getting a Calatrava-esque cable-stayed bridge on medical hill...

Not trying to play favorites, but it's ehhh OK. Great pictures sparky, but I'm not that big o fan. That hallway at the end looks like it leads to the Wizard of Oz.

BTW: I really like the contrast of our art museum vs. the older buildings around it:

(click for larger image)

[MisterMike]

And Milwaukee's budget for an Art Museum was what?

[sparky05]

And Milwaukee's budget for an Art Museum was what?

I don't know. But whatever it was, they didn't end up with, well, a big, bare-concrete... box.

I'm not trying to be deliberately harsh here. Since GRAM started coming together a bit more, I'm OK with the way it looks. But in terms of architecture, I tend to fall into the same category as James Lileks, who had this to say about the Minneapolis Public Library:

There's a fair amount of wood, but altogether too much exposed concrete, complete with empty holes in which the grim slurry was pumped. No other building material demonstrates contempt for people more than exposed concrete.

the fact that GRAM has a lot of glass and glazing is its saving grace, but it still has the overall feel of a bunker to me, especially when I look at other, (imo) better architecture that uses the same types of material and yet somehow manages to transcend the limits of the materials in their ordinary form.

I have some of the same reaction to VAI - it's very stark, although the glass cascade is so prominent (and the worst side is about to be covered with another glass cascade) that it's less of a concern for me.

I know that there are some (GRDad) who aren't as impressed with MAM as I was; but I'd be interested in going to that building with some of them and see if they didn't feel that they were entering a special place when they walked across that bridge and into that main room. I had my doubts about it initially as well, but walking inside swept all of that away. I have a hard time believing that GRAM will do that for me (although I'll withhold final judgement and hope for the best.

BTW, I accidentally posted this thing well before I was finished writing it. Sorry. Oops.

[GRDadof3]

I don't know. But whatever it was, they didn't end up with, well, a big, bare-concrete... box.

I'm not trying to be deliberately harsh here. Since GRAM started coming together a bit more, I'm OK with the way it looks. But in terms of architecture, I tend to fall into the same category as James Lileks, who had this to say about the Minneapolis Public Library:

the fact that GRAM has a lot of glass and glazing is its saving grace, but it still has the overall feel of a bunker to me, especially when I look at other, (imo) better architecture that uses the same types of material and yet somehow manages to transcend the limits of the materials in their ordinary form.

I have some of the same reaction to VAI - it's very stark, although the glass cascade is so prominent (and the worst side is about to be covered with another glass cascade) that it's less of a concern for me.

I know that there are some (GRDad) who aren't as impressed with MAM as I was; but I'd be interested in going to that building with some of them and see if they didn't feel that they were entering a special place when they walked across that bridge and into that main room. I had my doubts about it initially as well, but walking inside swept all of that away. I have a hard time believing that GRAM will do that for me (although I'll withhold final judgement and hope for the best.

BTW, I accidentally posted this thing well before I was finished writing it. Sorry. Oops.

You also have to consider its setting. It's right on Lake Michigan with sweeping views of downtown Milwaukee. You would pretty much have to be swept away by the design or it would feel dinky and inconsequential (I'm not an intellectual or an architecture student so I can't think of more appropriate words). That's probably why they chose Calatrava. Much like the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It screams for attention. Or take Chicago, with Soldier Field's new look along the lakeshore, or the new amphitheater. The designs had to transcend its surroundings, and compete for attention. I think you can get away with that with a civic or sports venue. I might agree that the GRAM could have had a breathtaking design, but not on that spot along Monroe Center. It would have looked goofy and out of place if it were a 10 story tall obelisk, or shaped like a giant sphere, or a piece of furniture, or a bird, or some other odd shape (like the other design submitted for the competition), IMO.

Personally I really don't think you'll be swept away by the new GRAM, but I think it will be a GREAT place to see art displayed. And the amount of windows and how it will look at night will certainly add some much-needed energy to that area.

[sparky05]

You also have to consider its setting. It's right on Lake Michigan with sweeping views of downtown Milwaukee. You would pretty much have to be swept away by the design or it would feel dinky and inconsequential (I'm not an intellectual or an architecture student so I can't think of more appropriate words). That's probably why they chose Calatrava. Much like the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It screams for attention. Or take Chicago, with Soldier Field's new look along the lakeshore, or the new amphitheater. The designs had to transcend its surroundings, and compete for attention. I think you can get away with that with a civic or sports venue. I might agree that the GRAM could have had a breathtaking design, but not on that spot along Monroe Center. It would have looked goofy and out of place if it were a 10 story tall obelisk, or shaped like a giant sphere, or a piece of furniture, or a bird, or some other odd shape (like the other design submitted for the competition), IMO.

Personally I really don't think you'll be swept away by the new GRAM, but I think it will be a GREAT place to see art displayed. And the amount of windows and how it will look at night will certainly add some much-needed energy to that area.

I too am not an architecture student or an engineer. (Don't sell yourself short on the intellectual end of things, though. You might not have a PhD in philosophy, but you're a pretty sharp guy. And hey, all of the Philosophy PhD's I know are doinks anyway.) So I probably don't have the vocabulary to discuss the technical aspects of how the buildings stand up or what their place is in architectural history. But what I'm talking about here is more of a general human capacity to feel inspiration and awe.

I've been on the fence about GRAM for a while; I sort of like the design (although I've never been blown away by it), but I've also been a bit put off by the sheer amount of bare concrete on the structure, especially on the louis side by ottawa, where it's essentially a gigantic overpowering blank wall. I can't help but think that if this was any other structure (think parking ramp) we'd all be throwing a massive fit about how ugly it is.

In contrast, I was immediately struck by how unique and beautiful the Calatrava structure was. It's clearly a work of art in itself, and walking into the pavilion was awe inspiring. There's a lot of concrete in that building, but it doesn't feel like concrete - it's pure white and inviting, and the interplay of light and shadow, concrete and glass is fascinating. Even something as simple as a long, straight hallway became an experience to walk down, a thing of beauty. The building itself is clearly art, in the same class for me as the best of Frank Lloyd Wright, and just as inspiring. It looks as though it longs to leap off its foundation; it wants to raise your eyes. It is intended to inspire and to lift the human spirit, which is what good art is supposed to do.

The more I think about it, GRAM - with its naked concrete exterior and bunker-like feel - seems to just squat there. And while I understand that dropping MAM onto the spot currently occupied by the new GR museum would be ludicrous, I'm getting more and more disappointed with the essentially brutalist structure that we're going to have there for many years to come. I could be wrong, but I'm having a serious case of the "what might have beens" at this point.

For what it's worth.

[GRDadof3]

Thanks sparky! You're not so bad yourself.

Here's my favorite so far of the art museum:

Well, this one too:

Although the blue in the lanterns doesn't match the panels, it's a very nice color blue (clean and crisp).