I just watched this interview with Charlie Rose and his new building in Kansas City looks really beautiful. Have any of you seen it? Can you tell me what the experience is like, both night and day?
I had the chance to see the building when I was in Kansas City earlier in the year. Unfortunately, the Nelson was installing art in preparation for the June opening, so I was only able to walk around the exterior and peer into the new lobby.
I have to say that it lives up to much of the hype we've been hearing for months. On the cold late winter day, the light boxes ("lenses") seemed to glow even during the daylight hours. The lobby is beautiful with ramps descending from the entry beneath the earth into the galleries below the light boxes. I personally like the use of channel glass for the facade. The vertical repetition keeps a nice consistency among the undulating landscape and changing facades.
At night, the lighting effects are mesmerizing. It brings such a sophisticated look to the museum complex.
I think my favorite part of the new addition is the contrast it creates with the existing museum building. The existing museum is a solid, monolithic stone building which sits prominently at the top of a hill. In comes Holl's addition, with multiple light boxes dancing down the the hillside while boasting its entirely translucent composition. Holl's new, more organic landscape is also a great contrast to Dan Kiley's highly ordered front lawn and sculpture garden.
On an urban note, I feel this is exactly what Kansas City needs, a large, powerful contemporary building for all to see (and for free!). Kansas City has been fighting for the past decade to generate some type of vibrancy in its urban core. While the Nelson is south of downtown, it only enhances the architectural draw of the city and creates a new standard for public buildings in KC.
thanks gs11 for such a great response. i'm happy that architecture is helping me get interested in traveling to parts of this country that i've had little to no interest in visiting.
Steven Holl's Nelson-Atkins Museum Extension
I just watched this interview with Charlie Rose and his new building in Kansas City looks really beautiful. Have any of you seen it? Can you tell me what the experience is like, both night and day?
I had the chance to see the building when I was in Kansas City earlier in the year. Unfortunately, the Nelson was installing art in preparation for the June opening, so I was only able to walk around the exterior and peer into the new lobby.
I have to say that it lives up to much of the hype we've been hearing for months. On the cold late winter day, the light boxes ("lenses") seemed to glow even during the daylight hours. The lobby is beautiful with ramps descending from the entry beneath the earth into the galleries below the light boxes. I personally like the use of channel glass for the facade. The vertical repetition keeps a nice consistency among the undulating landscape and changing facades.
At night, the lighting effects are mesmerizing. It brings such a sophisticated look to the museum complex.
I think my favorite part of the new addition is the contrast it creates with the existing museum building. The existing museum is a solid, monolithic stone building which sits prominently at the top of a hill. In comes Holl's addition, with multiple light boxes dancing down the the hillside while boasting its entirely translucent composition. Holl's new, more organic landscape is also a great contrast to Dan Kiley's highly ordered front lawn and sculpture garden.
On an urban note, I feel this is exactly what Kansas City needs, a large, powerful contemporary building for all to see (and for free!). Kansas City has been fighting for the past decade to generate some type of vibrancy in its urban core. While the Nelson is south of downtown, it only enhances the architectural draw of the city and creates a new standard for public buildings in KC.
I have yet to visit this fine building.
What about these buildings' image during the day?
thanks gs11 for such a great response. i'm happy that architecture is helping me get interested in traveling to parts of this country that i've had little to no interest in visiting.
i visited it on 8-10-07, nearly bumping into harry smith of CBS news....
here are my photos.
http://www.pbase.com/archetype/nelson_atkins_mo
cheers,
archetype
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