The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has named the architect for the institution's latest expansion project: David Chipperfield, the British master of elegance with offices in London, Berlin, Shanghai & Milan, was selected after a year-long research and selection process and announced yesterday by museum director and CEO, Thomas P. Campbell.
The job calls for the redesign of The Met's Southwest Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, and — quite likely — also for adjacent exhibition spaces for the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
“We based the final selection of an architect on three criteria: vision, experience, and compatibility," Campbell remarked in his announcement. "David Chipperfield’s global architectural experience and sensibility, along with his commitment to the collaborative aspect of creating architecture, make him a perfect partner on this milestone project. His museum projects are brilliantly coherent, elegant, and accessible—from the Neues Museum in Berlin to Museo Jumex in Mexico City, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and The Hepworth in Wakefield, England."
Read on for some more information we've received from the museum.
“The project will run concurrent with the Met’s installations in the Marcel Breuer-designed building that formerly housed the Whitney, allowing us to regenerate our permanent spaces in the Met’s main building while maintaining a vibrant program for modern and contemporary art just blocks away.”
Part of a comprehensive long-term plan to support and enhance the Museum’s ongoing vitality, the renovation and redesign will enhance gallery configuration and visitor navigation throughout the Southwest Wing, and support a more open dialogue between the Museum and Central Park. The project will increase gallery space for the collection, double the size of the Roof Garden, and create accessible on-site storage. Work on the wing will coincide with the Met’s programming in the Marcel Breuer-designed building that formerly housed the Whitney Museum of American Art. The programming will launch in spring 2016.
David Chipperfield and his team will begin work immediately on developing the scope for the redesign, working closely with Mr. Campbell and his internal management team, with oversight by the Trustees. This initial phase of internal review is expected to take several months, followed by a comprehensive presentation process to all community stakeholders and relevant city agencies. All necessary approvals and other legal requirements will be obtained and completed before any construction is initiated.
4 Comments
Why can't we ever compete for public projects in this country? Where are these people who do the selecting come from? Why does capitalism work on everything (supposedly), except design?
Over 1,000 people wanted to compete for last Guggenheim competition. There is enough struggling, hopeful, emerging architects who wants to flex their ideas and passion into work, but yet, it's these "selectors" who are hoarding public's interest, consent, and taste.
It is about time we put this issue into more wider visibility.
This was a competition. Chipperfield won.
"During the selection process, the architecture and design committee considered nearly 50 firms in the U.S. and internationally with museum architecture experience. A select number of firms were invited to submit proposals, and the process led to the final selection of David Chipperfield Architects."
The key words, "selected" and selected to submit proposals.
This was in no way, blind, design merit based competition like they do in Europe and in China.
Someone else's taste and preference was used to choose the handful of architects they invited.
And like every case, they choose the most predictable, the guy who did it before.
This is why it needs a debate.
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