I have never been excited about Todd Williams and Billie Tsien's work. I think that Skircanich (sp.?) Hall's brickwork is vomit-colored (which overwhelms the handlaid character of it) and that Williams-Tsien's other projects have been other such well-intentioned misfirings, at best, and debacles, at worst. So when they were announced as the architects for the new Barnes Museum on the Parkway, I was underwhelmed. How could they mess this up this time?
And so we waited for renders. And waited. And waited. Neither hide nor hair of them had been seen, until the City, via the Freedom of Information Act, was forced to release them some three days prior to what was supposed to be their unveiling. Well, one at least.
What does this render tell us?
That, as usual, there's a major misfiring.
It's not the buildings--the main hall is perfectly proportioned and stated; it integrates well into the Parkway Museums complex. The classroom buildings behind it are made of glass and will relate to, and evoke, the Safdie Central Branch expansion that the Free Library's been raising money for for, like, ever.
Evenly distributing mechanical around the block's non-Parkway sides is a major risk that may or may not pan out, so the major misfiring is not quite there yet--at least.
Where is it, then? Parking. There should be no surface lot whatsoever--and a major one faces Pennsylvania Avenue! (Yes, the Art Museum has surface parking, but...) Rodin has no parking. Eakins Oval's surface lot destroys the City Beautiful Beaux-Arts beauty.
Note: Since writing began more updates came out.
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/homepage/Barnes_on_the_Parkway.html
And so we waited for renders. And waited. And waited. Neither hide nor hair of them had been seen, until the City, via the Freedom of Information Act, was forced to release them some three days prior to what was supposed to be their unveiling. Well, one at least.
What does this render tell us?
That, as usual, there's a major misfiring.
It's not the buildings--the main hall is perfectly proportioned and stated; it integrates well into the Parkway Museums complex. The classroom buildings behind it are made of glass and will relate to, and evoke, the Safdie Central Branch expansion that the Free Library's been raising money for for, like, ever.
Evenly distributing mechanical around the block's non-Parkway sides is a major risk that may or may not pan out, so the major misfiring is not quite there yet--at least.
Where is it, then? Parking. There should be no surface lot whatsoever--and a major one faces Pennsylvania Avenue! (Yes, the Art Museum has surface parking, but...) Rodin has no parking. Eakins Oval's surface lot destroys the City Beautiful Beaux-Arts beauty.
Note: Since writing began more updates came out.
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/homepage/Barnes_on_the_Parkway.html
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