Designed by Renzo Piano, the new addition to LACMA takes a mostly pragmatic approach to the site, giving it a clarity that it desperately needed. His top-floor galleries, which take advantage of the exquisite California sunlight, will no doubt thrill those whose main focus is how a museum’s design makes the art look. But architecture is about more than the quality of light. It’s where our dreams collide with practical realities, which makes it perhaps the most difficult of arts. As a monument to the civic aspirations of Los Angeles, Mr. Piano’s design is remarkably uninspired. NYT | Audio Slideshow | Interactive Graphic | Orhan's previous coverage: 1 | 2 | 3 || Art Review: Rounding up the Usual Suspects | previously
8 Comments
AP..
the previously (link) doesn't seem to work?
thanks, it's fixed and Orhan's previous coverage has been added to the links.
Pretty harsh assesment..
Adequate but not inspiring..
Renzo fell into the trap of most visiting starchitects of mis-reading LA. Banham set the bar very high and only locals have been able to truly achieve great LA architecture.
There are some Broad design concepts that Mr. Ourussoff left out of his critique in order to support his assertion that the new building is "remarkably uninspired."
Omitted from discussion of these buildings in the context of Los Angeles, and I'll refer to one only, is Piano's referencing of film studio architecture and theater flyspace structures, with large blank walls, attachment stairs, and contraption-laden lids. These obvious references outweigh the need to create "low-flung structures whose horizontal lines echoed the traffic flowing along the boulevard."
On the note of car-culture referencing, why is Ouroussoff so critical and dismissive of the gas station aesthetic at the entrance? Granted, this might seem out of tune with the flyspace aesthetic, and perhaps this is a situation in which there is disharmony. And as members of 21st pop culture, who of us actually dislikes disharmony?
I should probably point out that I haven't visited the building yet. One look at the travertine or the "lipstick red" posts might make me see things differently.
Also check out David Byrne's blog for his take on the opening ceremony.
is pissed at ouroussoff's review..
It may be a function of Los Angeles reaching architectural maturity (for good or bad) that every significant cultural institution no longer needs a statement building to tie its reputation to. I'm not entirely opposed to more of this city being made up of competent, understated buildings that suit their users. Isn't this why Piano was hired?
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