Does the project depend on fundraising?

Who is going to buy the building? Case? A developer?

 

 

This is how a smart person broke it down to me recently:  three obvious buyers would be a) Case, b) a developer, or c) another instution.  From all accounts, Case doesn't (or should't, anyway) have the appetite to shell out significant $ for real estate given is current financial issues, which makes b) and c) seem more likely.  The concern for b) is whether or not there is sufficent demand for super high end housing which would likely be required to justify a high purchase price for the land, though commercial development is possible.  As for c) it was suggested to me that the art museum might be interested in purchasing the property.  The existing building could house education or back office space for the time being.  Long term, the museum would have control of the space for later new construction and to safeguard the design integrity of its site.  Who knows though.

 

I know I'm pulling for residential and limited commercial space.  When I win mega millions, I'll be in the market for a swell pied a terre in Cleveland and I can't think of a better site...

^already have a name for the building where your pied a terre will be located..."Museum Tower".  Could you imagine a penthouse in say a 20 story building on that site.  You would have views of park like University Circle and Rockefeller Park up close and the lake and downtown in the distance.  You would have all the institutions at your doorstep, Little Italy for restaurants and galleries, revived (hopefully) retail within walking distance with Case's College Town development, the Hts. right up the hill and a quick trip downtown on the Silver Line with the bus stop at the end of your street.  Sign me up.

There are so many cities NY, Philly, Toronto (I think San Fran) and now Dallas with "Museum Towers" throughout the country. Maybe the Residences at Museum Tower ?  That's such an innovative area, the building, the units and the name on the building have to be unique.  :-)

i vaguely recall the idea of the museum of art pitching a condo tower, maybe 2 years ago?

^already have a name for the building where your pied a terre will be located..."Museum Tower".  Could you imagine a penthouse in say a 20 story building on that site.   You would have views of park like University Circle and Rockefeller Park up close and the lake and downtown in the distance.  You would have all the institutions at your doorstep, Little Italy for restaurants and galleries, revived (hopefully) retail within walking distance with Case's College Town development, the Hts. right up the hill and a quick trip downtown on the Silver Line with the bus stop at the end of your street.  Sign me up.

 

Exactly.  Would be perfect.  Wouldn't even need a car (assuming coop stays open or other food retailer moves to the nabe).

 

There are so many cities NY, Philly, Toronto (I think San Fran) and now Dallas with "Museum Towers" throughout the country. Maybe the Residences at Museum Tower ?  That's such an innovative area, the building, the units and the name on the building have to be unique.  :-)

 

Hmm, "Residences at Museum Tower" is a little too real estate-y for me.  I'd be happy with the street address or "Wade Tower" or something with a tasteful historical hook like that.  I'm guessing we got a few years to think about it...

Hmm, "Residences at Museum Tower" is a little too real estate-y for me.  I'd be happy with the street address or "Wade Tower" or something with a tasteful historical hook like that.  I'm guessing we got a few years to think about it...

 

 

That was my initial thought.

Hmm, "Residences at Museum Tower" is a little too real estate-y for me.  I'd be happy with the street address or "Wade Tower" or something with a tasteful historical hook like that.  I'm guessing we got a few years to think about it...

 

Would "Jeptha's place" pass for tasteful?

^Definitely.  But I'm now leaning towards "Museum Tower, a Jeptha Wade Joint".

^Definitely.  But I'm now leaning towards "Museum Tower, a Jeptha Wade Joint".

 

replace "joint" with "crib".  LOL

Cleveland Institute of Art unveils $53 million expansion plan

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Steven Litt

Plain Dealer Architecture Critic

 

The Cleveland Institute of Art added momentum to the revitalization of University Circle on Friday by unveiling plans for the $53 million expansion and renovation of its McCullough Center on upper Euclid Avenue.

 

The four-year art college has raised nearly half the money for the project in cash, pledges and tax credits and hopes to break ground in May, said David Deming, the school's president.

 

"We're excited, we really are excited," he said. "It's very gratifying to arrive at this moment. It's something the faculty, administration and trustees have been trying to figure out for 20 years."

 

When the project would be complete in 2009, the art institute would vacate its aging and outmoded Gund Building at 11141 East Blvd., opposite the Cleveland Museum of Art, and sell or lease the property for uses that could include luxury condominiums.

 

The expansion of the McCullough Center, in effect, would unify the art institute in a single campus for the first time since 1981.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/steven_litt/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1193473987233790.xml&coll=2

 

There are some renderings here:

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2007/10/cleveland_institute_of_art_unv.html07/10/large_ciamainjpeg

 

I'm somewhat unimpressed; my first thought when seeing this morning's paper was, "Where are they building this parking deck and why is it on the front page?"

 

Then, for a moment I was terrified that it was the unveiled Triangle/Contemporary Art building.  Phew!

 

:)

 

 

Full article with images:

 

$53 million expansion

Posted by Plain Dealer Architecture Critic Steven Litt

October 26, 2007

 

 

Blending humor, simplicity and bridgelike engineering, the Cleveland Institute of Art expansion envisioned by Dutch architect Winy Maas hunches up in the middle like a giant inchworm or caterpillar.

 

The Cleveland Institute of Art added momentum to the revitalization of University Circle Friday by unveiling plans for the $53 million expansion and renovation of its McCullough Center on upper Euclid Avenue.

 

The four-year art college has raised nearly half the money for the project in cash, pledges and tax credits and hopes to break ground in May, said David Deming, the school's president...

 

more at:  http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2007/10/cleveland_institute_of_art_unv.html

Would it kill those Web people at the PD to give us high-res photos for once? I hate trying to make a decision on whether or not I like something when the people for scale are the size of the pinhead.

 

I hope that MOCA comes up with something flamboyant. My first thought is this design is too reflective of Cleveland's conservative personality. This area of the city -- the region, really -- needs to shock people into a new view of the city.

I hope that MOCA comes up with something flamboyant. My first thought is this design is too reflective of Cleveland's conservative personality. This area of the city -- the region, really -- needs to shock people into a new view of the city.

 

I totally agree. I'm so sick of this conservative attitude.

 

Having said that, I actually really like this new building. It's really sleek and modern, and though it did remind me of a parking garage, I think it will look really cool once all the studios and people are inside and it's lit up at night. I like the slight curve of it.

Wow.  That's kind of bland.  The arch is pretty gimmicky, too.  How pleasant a space is that going to be underneath it?  Is it worth the issues that it is going to cause with floor layout inside the building? 

 

One nice thing, I like the openness of the building and because of that, I do think it will look nice lit up at night.

 

Why not a grand Euclid entrance?

Totally with the other comments here - looks like an enormous parking garage. Just a big box with a useless side entrance.  Looks like something the guy spent all of 5 minutes dreaming up.  Only thing I like at all are the diagonal supports on the western facade that at least add some interest.  Otherwise, it's almost hard to imagine a less interesting building.  Kind of shocking for an art school to go with something so bland.

Kind of shocking for an art school to go with something so bland.

 

well, looking at their old facility (the bellflower one)....

This is worse than merely bland and unimaginative. I have seen more attractive parking garages.

i think you guys are being too harsh on this building. it acknowledges the space quite well and makes good use of the room that was on the campus. What you guys have to keep in mind about design in general is that budget completely changes it, and i dont think CIA was in a position to simply spend away. Its a simple and (what could seem) bland design but it seems to me that it will do its job well. It looks interesting, modern, and sleek for what its worth and probably will be cheap to produce ( a good thing) . You may not like it, but thats great architecture. its exactly what CIA needs no more no less. Hopefully CIA can provide the final 25% of the budget and follow through with the project.

I think the design is pretty neat. The amount of light this will pour onto the area should be striking -- assuming people are in the building (warranting the lights being on) when it's dark outside!

Waiting for w28th to chime in on this. 

Im trying to be open about it and havent come to a conclusion. 

 

Oh and about the old Euclid sign...  I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised with what they are going to do.

I like it.

I like it too.

if I may...I like it three. 

 

it appears to have an entrance on euclid, between the two buildings, as well as the larger, under the inchworm, entrance.  with the original building designed around this middle entrance, I can accept this.  the back end, mayfield side of the triangle wedge is currently a parking lot wasteland, so I like how this situates itself.  this may be a situation wherein the interaction between the buildings is key.  while this building doesn't do much but lift its belly to welcome mcdonald's customers to walk past their cars and go to the art school, hopefully with the new triangle development, we will see a greater interaction here. 

 

or not.   

this is great, coming from a CIA student myself, this is exactly what the school needs.  it doesnt need a crazy wavy whatever-the-hell kind of building.  the "artist" part of this building needs to be from the people making it on the inside rather than the architects on the outside.  plus look at all that potential for natural light, thats quite excellent.  one of the things i hope they focus on are materials, i think thats what will really make the piece solid. 

I like the images that Musky posted much better than the image that was in the print edition. I'm very curious to see what the space in front of the building's entrance will look like.

I think this building is an example of good design. There's something very European about it. That doesn't automatically make it good. But still.

I think maybe the architect took some inspiration from the building that RTA left without a facade farther down Euclid.

Like it...should be cool at night.

I drove down Euclid tonight, and I think there was a sign in the old Euc advertising Blue something or other, a Hookah bar and cafe - can anyone confirm?  It was dark and I just caught a glance.

I have seen more attractive parking garages.

 

I wouldn't go that far -- I would say it looks like a very well designed parking garage. But a parking garage nonetheless.

 

Main entrance off Euclid = boo, hiss.

"Kind of shocking for an art school to go with something so bland."

 

With a few exceptions, most art school buildings tend to be more functional than a design statement. As zaceman said, the desire for natural light and functional space is much more important to artists than how it reads to the general public.

^ Agreed. As a functional question, though, I wonder how this will affect natural light in the factory classrooms adjacent to the wall of the new center.

Waiting for w28th to chime in on this. 

Im trying to be open about it and havent come to a conclusion. 

 

Oh and about the old Euclid sign...  I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised with what they are going to do.

 

I think it's going to be a great project.  Winy Maas has been known to make simple little moves that can create dynamic public and private spaces, and this looks like one of his more simplistic moves to date.  From what I've heard the interior spaces will be defined by terracing studio spaces (probably around the ramping parts of the structure).  Hopefully this level of transparency will be able to become a reality because this will really be a great thing to look at during the evening.  If everyone thinks it resembles a parking deck, maybe it starts a conversation on how to retrofit those structures into other programs if that ever becomes an opportunity in the city (imagine what could be done with the one adjacent to the May Company Building at Prospect and Ontario).

Combine this with MOCA, which should have renderings coming out in the next few weeks... Office dA doing the residential and retail part of this, Gehry and Vinoly (not really a fan, but world known nontheless) down the street, and this will be a reference point in world architecture for this time period, no doubt about it.

^Agree that the area could become a reference point and had that same though before I saw this design.  I'm just hoping it doesn't become the reference point for all of these architects' second-tier work.  The PBL bldg is decent, but not the most memorable of Gehry's.  The art museum is shaping up to be ok, but not as striking as some of Vinoly's other work (like the convention center in Pittsburgh).  Now we have the MVRDV parking garage - let's hope it looks better when built than it does in the renderings, but generally seems like that works the other way.  Hopefully FOA at least comes through with something cool. 

Is Office dA doing all the residential and retail?  What is Saitowitz's role?

My first impressions were the same as many of those expressed here... disappointment in its blandness and its resemblance of an old warehouse/parking deck.  I also hated the "hump."  I still do, actually, but as was also mentioned, it's where the function part of the design comes in.  I, too, would've liked to see a design that gave the expansion and this whole complex a nice big entrance on Euclid Avenue.  But, the main entrance to the complex will remain in the middle of the McCullough Building, set back from Euclid, which means that the new building needed to create a gateway to this entrance somehow.  I know there were a lot of regulations coming from the federal government in relation to the historic tax credits that they're using on the existing building.  Part of this precluded the expansion from actually touching or being built flush up against the McCullough Center.  This is the reason for the gap between the two buildings on the Euclid Ave. facade.  I worry about this space and the space underneath the "hump."  They have the potential to be dark, dreary, havens for airborn litter and such...  There were also earlier versions of the building (conceptual) that proposed a much more dramatic and "outside the box" structure, but I believe budget and historic requirements tapered those down as well. 

 

As many will attest, the interiors and their function is far more important.  This is where my impressions have changed.  As W28th mentioned, the "hump" creates sloping auditoriums for lectures and for the cinema.  Studio spaces will also be along these slopes and all will benefit from great natural light corridors.  The connection to the McCullough Center will be in the middle, above the main entrance, where the sloping glass that exists today will be removed (if I understand correctly) and a glass canopy will be built over the entire atrium between the two buildings.  This should be impressive. 

 

I also believe that the Euclid Ave. ground floor space will be a gallery and that there will be a cafe in the rear, attached to the cinematheque.  The McCullough Building's Euclid frontage will finally be opened up with a new library (IIRC), which should enable them to take down the shields that create a blank wall of opaque windows on the main street.

 

As for the main entrance being off-Euclid?  Well, like I said, I'm not a big fan, but there should be an opportunity for some sort of plaza space opening up on a new street (there actually used to be a street there) on the west side of the new building.  This street will serve both CIA and the new Uptown/Triangle district and will run from Euclid to Mayfield. 

What is the history of the Gund building?  Didn't it used to be a Ford factory for Model T's?

 

 

The McCullough  building is the old Model T factory. The Gund is just across the street from CMA.

This new building would look a lot better if it was red.

CIA compares well with Art Center in Los Angles, both noted for their crop of automotive designers. The enclosed photo is of Art center’s facility built in 1974. It’s commonly referred to as a minimum security facility. I guess we have the parking deck reference. 

 

Even though many here may not like the design that much, it will assuredly bring architecture students/buffs to Cleveland to check out these projects and the city in general, and who knows, maybe a few of them will stay for good.

The building personally doesn't do anything for me. I understand that because it's an art school, emphasis should be inward, but to me that's no reason to create something that is boring and just plain blah. It's an intellectual rationalization of some sort of personal architectural principle, like David Foster Wallace writing a paragraph that last pages and pages because he can. This may be "high art," but when you have to get your MFA in creative writing (or be an architect) to appreciate it, what's the point? To me, music, visual arts, architecture should inspire some sort of emotion.

 

And I'm sick of Cleveland's homage to its industrial days. Enough of that sh!t. Give me something beautiful to lift my spirits for the future. Grit and realism is great, but there is something important to be said about uplifting the spirit.

 

I'm not saying buildings need to be ornate or cheesy or anything like that. The addition to MoMa in NYC, to me, is fantastic, and I love everything about it. I also love the Flint Institute of Arts because they needed more space but had no money yet wanted to change the way people felt about their institution. I would argue that these buildings are not all that complex and still turn attention inward, but outward still convey strong emotions.

 

MoMA

 

And to the Michiganders in the audience, here is Flint's museum of art, which completed an addition several years ago. The addition is very modest compared to what we are doing, but I love it.

 

This is how it used to look...

You think the Flint Institute of Arts looks better than CIA's proposed building? I humbly disagree.

The modernist addition of MOMA is hardly anything groundbreaking.  I think once CIA is finished you'll be pleasantly surprised.

And also jamiec, totally disagree with you on abandoning/ignoring our industrial past when it comes to new constructions.  By your logic something built in the Flats should ignore the jackknife bridges, ore boats, and high level bridges when responding to context?  I don't think so. 

It's what makes this city unique in a world full of Atlantas, Jacksonvilles, and Houstons. 

You think the Flint Institute of Arts looks better than CIA's proposed building? I humbly disagree.

 

That's not what I said. I'm said I like Flint's addition because they did something interesting using their limited resources. I'm not saying it's the most impressive building on the planet, and it surely won't be on par with anything going up in University Circle, but it is a substantial improvement on what existed before and I think it fits the situation better than the CIA addition.

 

And also jamiec, totally disagree with you on abandoning/ignoring our industrial past when it comes to new constructions.  By your logic something built in the Flats should ignore the jackknife bridges, ore boats, and high level bridges when responding to context?  I don't think so. 

It's what makes this city unique in a world full of Atlantas, Jacksonvilles, and Houstons. 

 

That's putting words in my mouth. I see mimicking Cleveland's industrial past as an easy excuse for architects to get "blue collar" and create designs that are hideous high-brow odes to the past. But, honestly, I'm not usually impressed with many architect's opinions on how to merge old and new. Just take PD's critic Litt's view that the CIA addition has "humor." He doesn't explain what that means because it is meaningless art-critic gobblydeegook.

 

In the end, it's just not my cup of tea, and we can agree to disagree.

Just one comment:

 

Art, architecture, and/or design schools do not need to study in a space as "flamboyant" as the works produced. 

 

I've had the privelage to study in Mies' Crown Hall for five years and it is not "plain boring and blah".

 

 

FYI.  MVRDV has been thrown off the CIA project.  Burt Hill Architects is now the lead architect.  13 budgets were calculated for the building, and all was well.  The 14th (14?!?) shows a skyrocketed construction cost even though much of the design was scaled back.  A falling out occured between the owner and Winny Maas, and MVRDV is off the project.  Horrible for everyone involved, except Burt Hill.  Not good.