Museum Of Fine Arts Houston At 1001 Bissonnet St.

[Sunstar]

I am so envious of cities that get the honor of having Gehry's signature design.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that if they really wanted Gehry they could get him. It's not like they don't have the money. But so far the MFAH has chosen to go conservative on their expansions. The Mies van der Rohe addition to the Law building is also unremarkable in my opinion. Gehry is a bit extreme for the museum district, but it would definitely be fun to see a bit of whimsy this time around. I personally don't think it will happen.

[Subdude]

I could see someone like Ricardo Legorreta. He isn't as "flavor-of-the-month" as Gehry, he seems to do a good job integrating his style with existing structures, and he has the latin influence which might be an appropriate touch in Houston. But again, it is more important to get a great design than just a famous name architect.

[dalparadise]

I could see someone like Ricardo Legorreta.

[Houston19514]

I'm not an expert on Gehry, but doesn't it seem like every building he's designed (at least since Bilbao) looks an awful lot like Bilbao? Maybe it's the clients' fault, but it sure makes it appear that Gehry does NOT have another masterpiece in him, at least not one that is ground-breaking and would catch the world's attention. Hiring Gehry would almost be playing it safe. I'd rather they do a good international competition and come up with the "next Frank Gehry," with an exciting, iconic design, not just another rendition of Bilbao.

In any event, it sure is an exciting time in the Museum District and I too hope the MFAH is a little more adventurous this time around.

[MidtownCoog]

Has anyone noticed the ragged old MD flag on the street posts along Montrose?

The one in front of Soundwaves either needs to be replaced or removed. Also near La Colomdore (sp?).

You have to look real hard before you even know its a MD flag.

[H-Town Man]

I thought "integrating style" is what gave us the Beck building. I think the idea was to offer both contrast and complement to the simple Mies structure across the street, which was, itself, a modern nod to the neo-classical structure it expanded upon. I don't much care for the Beck exteriors, though I have been less harsh on them than others here in the past. I continue to support the idea that the Mies building is the worst Mies ever designed... but the best building in Houston. It is pure elegance and civic importance, with clean style and beautiful proportioning. In a city known for flexing post-modern muscles and architectural braggadocio, this is one of a very few refined, sophisticated and yes -- cosmopolitan -- voices.

Now, that said, with the Beck wing, it now stands in part of two blocks that, as a whole, are a little on the bland side. As this new expansion looks to perhaps be sited away from the other buildings, wouldn't this be a great time to shake things up with a Gehry organic fantasy? I think the Bilbao Guggenheim is the most significant building of its type. Does Frank have another masterpiece in him? I'd be willing to find out.

Hopefully the MFAH learned from the Beck and will be a little more adventurous this time. I'd say the stage is pretty well set.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You think the Law building is the worse Mies ever designed... but the best building in Houston? Come on. For one thing, Mies designed a dozen buildings for IIT that all look very similar to this one. It could have almost been the IIT Art Museum. For another thing, even if you like modernism that much and don't like postmodernism, isn't the University of St. Thomas Campus still much better? Or how about the Tennessee/El Paso building?

What always got me about the Law building was that fan-shaped curve that follows Binz St. What a forgettable entry it creates. With the sidewalk curving away from you on either side, the glass and concrete facade seems to be pushing you into the street. Also the 1/2 glass, 1/2 concrete to me is sickening; didn't he ever hear the 2/3, 1/3 rule? How about concrete 1/3 of the way up, and glass for the remaining 2/3? And then, please, do something to break up the horizontality! Make the middle of the building a little taller for goodness sake - provide some relief!

[Subdude]

What always got me about the Law building was that fan-shaped curve that follows Binz St. What a forgettable entry it creates. With the sidewalk curving away from you on either side, the glass and concrete facade seems to be pushing you into the street. Also the 1/2 glass, 1/2 concrete to me is sickening; didn't he ever hear the 2/3, 1/3 rule? How about concrete 1/3 of the way up, and glass for the remaining 2/3? And then, please, do something to break up the horizontality! Make the middle of the building a little taller for goodness sake - provide some relief!

Funny, one of the things I like about the Mies building is the way it follows the curve of the street, but in general I always like it when buildings come right up to the sidewalk. Re: raising the middle of the roof. Mies' buildings express verticality with the "fins" on the roof - for him a flat roof was something like a religion. As to it resembling his other works, point taken, but it is nonetheless a nice, and as dalparadise said, an elegant effort overall. Although I have heard it said that the original Mies structure was nicer, especially in that it was somewhat raised above street level, while the current facade opens at sidewalk level.

I thought "integrating style" is what gave us the Beck building. I think the idea was to offer both contrast and complement to the simple Mies structure across the street, which was, itself, a modern nod to the neo-classical structure it expanded upon.

I see your point. It would be a mistake to integrate the styles to the extent of just copying the Law building, but it seems it would be better if there were at least some references in the Beck building that would somehow relate it to the older structure. I understand that the Beck was intentionally meant to be more reticient so as not to overshadow the Mies facade, but right now a casual visitor wouldn't guess that the two buildings were related.

What bothers me more than the inconsistent style is the way that the Beck building ignores the street. Specifically, the blank walls, especially adjoining the Metro station, and the porte cochere that visually pulls back the main entrance from the street. I read that Moneo commented that none of this mattered, because Houstonians never were on the street in any event. It's not a good sign when the architect has that kind of arrogance about the city in which he has a commision.

I'm not an expert on Gehry, but doesn't it seem like every building he's designed (at least since Bilbao) looks an awful lot like Bilbao? Maybe it's the clients' fault, but it sure makes it appear that Gehry does NOT have another masterpiece in him, at least not one that is ground-breaking and would catch the world's attention. Hiring Gehry would almost be playing it safe. I'd rather they do a good international competition and come up with the "next Frank Gehry," with an exciting, iconic design, not just another rendition of Bilbao.

Agree completely (*fist pounding on table*). The boy's a victim of his own success, condemned to repeat Bilbaos. In Chicago I believe, he came up with a new design but it was rejected because it was not "Gehry" enough with the requisite billowing metal, so he had to come back with the standard fare. I just think hiring him would be a mistake, because those trademark Gehry buildings have become so alike that they run the risk of seeming dated in a very short period of time. Been there, done that. The designs of someone like Tadao Ando (Fort Worth) or Yoshio Taniguchi (MoMA) aren't as flamboyant or trendy but they are graceful and elegant and might wear better over the long run.

[Guest KOKON Steel]

I'm planning on robbing the Beck Museum. Anyone want in on it?

Upstairs, they have a great collection of Renaissance paintings. There is one by ... well I won't say who painted it, but let's just say after I steal it and sell it, I will certainly be able to buy a convertible Hummer, if they make them. If not, I will convert it to a drop-top with the ample funds I will receive after selling the prized painting.

And if I can't pull it off, I will just try to rob the Cafe Express in the basement. Their #74 Express Burger (add Swiss) is delicious, but $8.00 after tax? C'MON! I will try to steal 4 or 5 of those babies and then run up the large exterior stairway that dumps me out onto Bissonett.

Anyone want in? I could use a look-out, and a getaway driver to be parked on Bissonett St.

It will be going down sometime in mid-October.

Let me know. Oh, and at 4:20 PM next Monday I will be smokin' weed in the Terrell Tunnel that connects the Beck to the MFAH. Come join me man, it'll be trippy.

-K. Steel.

PS: This whole post is a joke. Please don't flood me with hate-mail.

[Subdude]

April 1, 2005, 3:19PM

Museum quality

Wanted: An architect to rebuild Houston's reputation

By CLIFFORD PUGH

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This message has been edited to remove copyrighted material.

Please do not post copyrighted photos or articles from newspapers or magazines. We have already received a warning from the Houston Chronicle, and the legal departments of other publications have visited the site. If you would like to discuss a published article, please summarize the article and provide a link to the original source.

-------------------

Link to Chronicle article

[dbigtex56]

Mr. Pugh has made some thought-provoking choices. Certainly, any of the architects he named would contribute to Houston's architectural heritage.

After the Enron scandal, will corporations have the confidence to spend stockholders' money on 'trophy' buildings? And will greedy CEOs allow money to be diverted from their golden parachutes?

We've already discussed in another thread how the public seems to distrust good architecture being erected with tax dollars. There seems to be a misconception that attractive buildings are inherently more expensive than ugly ones.

Now that the MFAH has received a huge endowment (oh, stop giggling) and can continue with their expansion program, let's hope they'll build something more inspiring than the Beck building. Private money seems to be our best hope for innovative architecture in Houston.

[bachanon]

how refreshing to see you 'round, dbigtex.

houston is poised for a "look-see" structure. my best hopes are for the asia society's new museum. perhaps, taniguchi (sp?) will make a splash.

[Guest KOKON Steel]

Hey can you tell me what section of the Chronicle this article was in?

Appreciate it

the Kokonomer

[ssullivan]

Hey can you tell me what section of the Chronicle this article was in?

Appreciate it

the Kokonomer

I read it in the print edition Sunday evening while at my parents'. I think it was in the Zest magazine section.

[Trophy Property]

We've already discussed in another thread how the public seems to distrust good architecture being erected with tax dollars. There seems to be a misconception that attractive buildings are inherently more expensive than ugly ones.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would not neccessarily say ugly vs attractive as much as square vs non square. it is much easier and more efficient to lease a square building. As Crescent (5 Houston Center) and Hines (Calpine) have shown recently, square buildings can serve both purposes.

[H-Town Man]

I like the idea of creating a great new architectural symbol for Houston. Goodness knows, we've had nothing to really captivate the city's imagination in a long time. When you take a building like the Transco tower, I think this made the average person, who has never thought about architecture, say "Wow. That building is incredible." It gave a little tingle to people's spines as they drove down the West loop or the Southwest freeway. But I don't know of any more recent building that you can definitely say has done that.

The problem with designing a museum building is that a building that stands out and makes a great symbol for the city isn't necessarily the best building for a museum. The Calatrava museum in Milwaukee looks great from a boat on the lake, but doesn't necessarily enhance the experience of looking at art. His proposed symphony hall for Atlanta is flamboyant, but doesn't really get you in the mood for the symphony. If I were an MFAH board member, I would worry first about how a new design fits into the context of the existing buildings and neighborhood before thinking about how it can add something unique to Houston.

That's a real problem though, because the Beck building pretty much ignored any interest in neighborhood context or existing buildings. I mean, you could rotate the thing 90 degrees, turn it upside down, paint it green, or put it on a different block, and it wouldn't fit in any better or worse. It's as if Moneo was sent the dimensions of the site and designed the whole thing on a blank pad in his studio up at Harvard, never knowing or caring how anything around it looked. And now the next architect has this giant morose hulk to contend with.

If they put a new building on the parking garage site, as they've been saying they might, the situation is miserable: you have a giant blank wall across the street, with nothing but a couple vents and an emergency exit. They could put it in the Presbyterian church parking lot, but anything postmodern or deconstructionist is going to look pretty tacky next to the graceful church.

Then again, tricky constraints often produce the best designs, so it will be interesting to see what one of these guys comes up with.

[Subdude]

One more time: Flame wars are subject to deletion or closing.

[midtown 4.2]

Below is an article that might be relevant.

http://www.core77.com/corehome/2005/04/mmm...chitecture.html

Mmmm, architecture

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Frank Gehry made an appearance on The Simpsons last weekend. I've looked for days to find an image from the show to blog here (not set up to do my own screencaps) and voila, an article about pop culture and architecture appears. But mostly, gaze upon the image. The episode featured a nice shot at the design process, where Gehry receives a letter from Marge urging him to design a Cultural Center for Springfield. Gehry crumples the letter, disgusted, and throws it to the ground, then sees the resulting form and has an architectural epiphany. The resultant design is the balled-paper-as-building. Not as bitter, yet, as the Python Architect Sketch or the Kids in the Hall Architect and the Atrium (no transcript online that I could find; suffice to say the architect tells the clients "Screw you and screw you!" several times).

posted by steve.portigal

[Subdude]

Back on topic, the fact that Gehry's designs are satirized on TV shows is a good indicator that he's become a bit of a cliche. I would much rather the museum focused on getting a good design this time rather than just worrying about getting a big name. I can't imagine that at this point commissioning Gehry would really add to our architectural reputation in any significant way.

[Houston19514]

^

I totally agree. Gehry is so 1990s ;-)

[largeTEXAS]

I totally agree! The best architects in the Chron article are probably the lesser-known ones such as Alberto Kalach, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, or Office dA. Gehry and Calatrava are gimmicky and overdone. I would love to see an emerging architect treat this at their life's work, rather than a major architect toss it to one of his assistants.

[Dan the Man]

Office dA would be a good choice. I saw Monica Ponce deLeon give a lecture last week; very intelligent woman and truly remarkable stuff!

[Subdude]

One I was surprised they didn't mention was Ricardo Legorreta. He has done several museums. I was in a couple of his buildings in Mexico City recently and they were pretty impressive. Maybe he's not considered very trendy or cutting edge, but it seems that he does a good job relating modern buildings to neighbors with more traditional styles, which might be a useful skill in the museum district.

[nmainguy]

A new building is in the talking stages for the MFA. It would mainly house the 20th century and contemporary collections.

The museum has 3 sites in mind. One is at the current garage location on Fannin. Another is across Binz from the garage and a third is north of the Mies wing off Main.

There are any number of world-class architects worthy of the job. I'd like to hear any suggestions you might have regarding the selection.

Here's a few of mine:

Renzo Piano [Menil Collection; Cy Twombly]

Yoshio Taniguchi [MOMA and the new Aisa Museum in Houston]

Zaha Hadid [Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, Cincinnati]

Rem Koolhaas [seattle Public Library]

Those are but a few of my choices for architect.

If you could add any pictures with your choices, that would be great.

As always,

Edited December 16, 2005 by nmainguy

[Talbot]

Hmm, out of those, I think I would go with either Yoshio Taniguchi or Zaha Hadid.

[nmainguy]

Hmm, out of those, I think I would go with either Yoshio Taniguchi or Zaha Hadid.

Hadid has done some fantastic work but she has a reputation for being "difficult". That may be because she is a successful woman in a man's world. Maybe if she was a man she would just be aggressive.

[nmainguy]

I will take some shots of the new MOMA when we're in Manhattan next week. I'll post them here when I return. I'm anxious to see how the art works in the new environment as-in my opinion-the museum should only serve as the back-drop.

[arche_757]

hmmm......

....how about Coop/Himmelblau?

j/k

how about a competition!!!

[nmainguy]

http://www.coop-himmelblau.at/images/projects/groning/groning0.jpg' alt='groning0.jpg'>

A competition would be a great idea.

A selection committee bold enough to do some of the above would be fantastic!!!

Edited December 16, 2005 by nmainguy

[Sunstar]

A competition would be a great idea.

A selection committee bold enough to do some of the above would be fantastic!!!

Considering that all three sites mentioned are right by the existing buildings and with the Museum District being what it is, I would be surprised if they went with a radical design. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised none the less.

[nmainguy]

Considering that all three sites mentioned are right by the existing buildings and with the Museum District being what it is, I would be surprised if they went with a radical design. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised none the less.

The Main St. site would probably be the best if it were to be something more "radical".