Facing challenges from a federal planning authority and advocacy groups, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC is under pressure to revamp or justify elements of a significant redesign of its sunken sculpture garden. — The Art Newspaper
The heated debate over Hiroshi Sugimoto's plans to revitalize the sunken sculpture garden at the Hirshhorn Museum, completed in 1974 by Gordon Bunshaft, is dragging on.
"At an online meeting on 3 December, the federal National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved Sugimoto’s preliminary site development plans with the exception of the proposed changes to the reflecting pool and inner partition wall," reports The Art Newspaper.
"Commissioners asked that the Hirshhorn explore an alternative to the expanded pool design that would retain the historic dimensions of the existing one. It also recommended that the Smithsonian find a way to make the new stacked stone walls more compatible with, while still distinct from, the material that Bunshaft used for his historic perimeter wall."
Meanwhile next door, the Smithsonian just scaled back elements inside the BIG-designed $2 billion Smithsonian South Mall Campus master plan.
1 Comment
This quote re: stacked stone walls is just savage;
"just reeks of Olive Garden [the chain restaurant] and that is not a good look on anybody."
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