Charlotte Arts Master Plan

[dubone]

Uptown needs more Doric columns. I'll be there .

I'll be there. Hope everyone shows up...except those of you who want a red brick georgian neo-classical columned up faux 18th Century kind of thing. Y'all should def stay home. There will be re-runs of This Old House on TV that night.

[appatone]

I'll be there. Hope everyone shows up...except those of you who want a red brick georgian neo-classical columned up faux 18th Century kind of thing. Y'all should def stay home.

What if it ends up looking futuristic like the Westin!

I wonder if all of the folks who pushed for making the Arena look like the biggest cotton mill on the face of the earth will be there. That's all we need right now, A modern art museum that looks like a friggin' cotton mill

[Miesian Corners]

Just took a look at new art museums in cities the same size or smaller than Charlotte.

The new Art Museum of Western Virginia is very cool.

Check out what Roanoke, Virginia (a city of 125,000) can come up with.

Milwaukee Art Museum (by Calatrava)

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Minneapolis Walker Art Center (bigger city than Charlotte, but a cool new museum)

Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah (opened last month)

Austin Museum of Art

[peaceloveunderstanding]

hmm. I wouldn't want any of that madness in Charlotte.

We need something classical, not something crazy. We don't need something that doesn't approach the street and only looks good from above or miles away. We need something that fits in with the street, I like those Mint Museum renderings that were displayed earlier.

[Miesian Corners]

^So I guess you don't like the NASCAR HoF either?

God forbid we do anything progressive here. Maybe we should just move the Mint to Ballantyne into a McMansion.

[DigitalSky]

We need something very glassy and semi-abstract, but not like Louisville's new tower, that thing is ugly. I'm pushing for futuristic, but it needs to be good-looking futuristic.

[turbocraig]

I love all those examples you illustrated, MC. I wish we had stuff that was so out of the 'box' that it stirred a huge amount of controversy, like.. "WTF? What were they thinking???" Then we'd know we had something worthwhile.

[appatone]

That Roanoke museum is stunning. I definitely want something modern, especially for the Betchler. However, does anyone think the Guggenheim Bilbao look is getting a bit over done? I mean, if even Roanoke, VA has one . I would almost want something more tame while still modern. The Betchler collection is modern art so it deserves a modern building, however it is a very intimate and homey collection. It seems we would want something quieter and cozier for such an intimate collection of art.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

^So I guess you don't like the NASCAR HoF either?

God forbid we do anything progressive here. Maybe we should just move the Mint to Ballantyne into a McMansion.

The NASCAR HOF actually has some relation to what NASCAR is: its main design feature is that swooping circle and the loop makes sense to a non-artistic mind like my own, I can't really express myself in terms of architecture as I don't know anything about it. It's agreeable, it doesn't clash with the senses, it flows.

I wish it (the NASCAR HOF) did approach the street better but that's just the nature of the beast. Stonewall is not really a pedestrian corridor like Tryon is. These museums (Mint and B.) are intended to be part of the Wachovia project and since they are on Charlotte's main street, they should approach the street appropriately.

The examples posted, well a few of them, look like "theme parks on angel dust" (Kunstler). They are just random discombobulations of nonsense.

IMO balance is beauty, symmetry and of a human scale is how these museums should be designed.

[Miesian Corners]

Understood App. But couldn't the same be said of every museum built in the classic style with Corinthian/ Doric/ Ionic columns? How many Pantheons do we need?

Randall Stout is the architect of record for Roanoke. He also did the additon to the Hunter in Chattanooga. Here's a link: Randall Stout Architects

[cw52808]

Botta mentioned something about geometirc designs in an interview I read. It would be nice if someone could mention a design reminiscent of the old convention center. A pyramidal structure on the roof of the museum that allowed light to emit from, or block light from coming in, or allow it to come in the building would be awesome. As far as emitting light, some sort of blue/green/amber light would be cool.

Another idea would be something similar to Atlanta's symphony center for the theater project part. Wachovia has contributed a huge amount of money for that project. I would like to think that this would be similar in quality. Here's a link if you've never seen it: http://www.atlantasymphonycenter.org/vision.asp

A crown type of structure would be awesome for the theater also. Something futuristic looking, but similar to a crown... or maybe in a C shape.

[crispin]

The examples posted, well a few of them, look like "theme parks on angel dust" (Kunstler). They are just random discombobulations of nonsense.

I would be willing to wager Kunstler didn't write those lines about Santiago Calatrava's architecture.

There is nothing meaningful, not anymore, about classical architecture. What exactly does it express to you? That the universe has a First Cause? That society is hierarchical? That form should conceal function?

This last page of discussion makes me very sad. Is there no appetite for architectural experimentation? Sometimes buildings should be crazy, assymetrical or massive. Anything but boring. We have enough of that.

[Rickydavisfan21]

we need something like jepson center for the arts, in savannah, I went there this weekend.... breathtaking... thats all I can say

[Miesian Corners]

IMO balance is beauty, symmetry and of a human scale is how these museums should be designed.

While I understand your point, sometimes large scale is what makes buildings great. Buidings themselves become works of art. A museum which has awe inspiring architecture pulls people inside to discover the wonders within. Gothic cathedrals were designed specifically to signify the greatness of God and the smallness of man. Likewise, Greeks and Romans built imposing structures that were intentionally huge in scale. The Parthenon, Pantheon, Colosseum, etc. Ever been to the Louvre? Talk about massive scale. Its bigger than uptown Charlotte.

[UrbaniDesDev]

The Architects randall Scott are looking very much like Frank Gehry, who I love. Look what Gehry's museum did for tourism in Bilbao Spain

[crispin]

Ever been to the Louvre? Talk about massive scale. Its bigger than uptown Charlotte.

The Louvre has about 550,000 sf of exhibition space.

(It does, however, have exactly the kind of glass pyramid CW52808 was wishing for.)

[Miesian Corners]

The Louvre has about 550,000 sf of exhibition space.

(It does, however, have exactly the kind of glass pyramid CW52808 was wishing for.)

And according to The daVinci Code, it covers the remains of Mary Magdelene.

[crispin]

And according to The daVinci Code, it covers the remains of Mary Magdelene.

To quote you, Ever been to the Louvre?

[Miesian Corners]

^Yep, its huugggggeeeee. Been there six times (I once travelled for work to Europe quite often). I actually like the Musee d'Orsay better. Its more manageable.

For the record, I doubt Mary Magdalene's remains are in the Louvre.

[appatone]

Understood App. But couldn't the same be said of every museum built in the classic style with Corinthian/ Doric/ Ionic columns? How many Pantheon's do we need?

You're right. I wouldn't argue for classical architecture. I want modern architecture for the Betchler. It's hard for me to really word this since I'm not a brilliant art critic but I have heard that the Betchler collection is a very intimate one. One thing that will make this museum so unique isn't that we have Picassos but that we have personal pieces that Picasso gifted to friends. It's not that we have many works by twentieth century greats its that they are all tied together in a through story by the personal relationships each of these artists had with the Betchler family. That story of personal relationships and that feeling of intimacy should be felt in the architecture of the museum. If we place these paintings into a grandiose structure (no matter the style) we lose an integral piece of the experience this art collection is meant to convey. I think Mr. Betchler is in a way making us all members of his family for the day when we walk through those museum doors. It needs to be a warm space, it needs to feel personal and intimate. That is what will set it apart from every other modern art museum in the world. IMO.

[atlrvr]

I think Mr. Betchler is in a way making us all members of his family for the day when we walk through those museum doors. It needs to be a warm space, it needs to feel personal and intimate. That is what will set it apart from every other modern art museum in the world. IMO.

Maybe the museum can be a recreation of Betchler's childhood home. Just Kidding.....unless he lived in some modernist house in Switzerland.

[cinco]

i will be @ this meeting as should all modernistas... we will gather in numbers so great, that charlotte will tremble with such excitement, bringing down a blizzard of "fake stucco" revealing only concrete & steel. then onto tryon we will raise our futuristic swords and smite thee georgian dragons of yawn architecture.....

but on a serious note the bechtler WILL be modern looking... i just hope they get it right, b/c most in charlotte probably aren't too comfortable with that kind of thing... it must "undeniable".

[Rickydavisfan21]

maybe we should put mary magdalene's remains under the betchler museum, maybe thats all we need for a cohesive well done museum

[dubone]

Well, none of these projects will be large in any sense, as the siteplans are pretty well set, and obviously the whole Wachovia project is only ~2 blocks large.

(Also, we don't have an extravagent emperor building a palace like the Louvre)

I would like these projects to all be something very very unique, especially the Bechtler and the AACC. For Charlotte, unique will almost certainly means ultra-modern, something to the effect of what MC posted.

I definitely agree, however, that they must not be as awful at street level as most ultra-modern structures. Luckily, though, the ground level footprints are so small, the actual entrances will be a large part of the street area, and it won't likely be a problem.

What will be very cool is if each project has a distinct look, which will likely happen. I think it will add a lot of diversity to the streetscape, and improve people's perception of Charlotte's downtown.

[tiblerbrit]

I'll be interested to see how the Bectler and theater interact with each other. I imagine that could be hard to design especially on a "fairly" narrow lot.