5 compete to design museum

Flown in everywhere from Los Angeles to London, five architects flaunted their architectural designs in an attempt to impress an audience and eight jurors at Wharton Center on Wednesday.

At stake - a contract to design the new Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

A decision isn’t expected to be made right away, and the jurors’ recommendation is subject to approval by the MSU Board of Trustees.

The architects had one hour to present, a $50,000 budget and a panel of museum, business and architectural connoisseurs watching.

Coop Himmelb(l)au

The inspiration: Coop Himmelb(l)au used five main concepts, including a museum as an urban space and as a sign to the city, said Karolin Schmidbaur, senior design architect for the firm.

The vision: The lobby space is set in a transparent nature. Natural and artificial light is mixed throughout the space, and diffused light shines through the ceiling. A large window faces Grand River Avenue, where the public can see inside the building. A spiraling ramp takes museum guests from the lobby to the lifted galleries.

What’s cool: The museum appears to be accessible to the general public and to students, said Richard Koshalek, a juror.

“A lot of people don’t feel comfortable entering a museum,” he said.

An indoor/outdoor café was proposed as a part of the lobby.

What’s questionable: Juror Dolores D. Wharton questioned the appearance of the loading dock facing campus, which she said did not seem as inviting as the side of the museum facing Grand River Avenue.

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC

The inspiration: The firm saw the museum enclosing art similar to a shell holding a pearl or a helmet protecting a head, said William Pedersen, principal architect for the firm.

“Simple forms reveal a complex inner world,” he said.

The vision: The architects proposed a simple half-sphere shape for the building, which held 5,000 square feet for special exhibition art and another 5,000 square feet for new media and contemporary art. The firm also provided space in the design for permanent art, works on paper and photography. Stairs take viewers up half-levels to different galleries.

What’s cool: At night, the structure glows on the outside.

What’s questionable: Kate Pew Wolters, a juror, said she worried if one did not take the stairs up to the galleries, they might miss out on art being displayed along the way.

Zaha Hadid Architects

The inspiration: The firm wanted to focus on light and reflection, said Patrik Schumacher, principal architect.

The vision: Zaha Hadid Architects created a sloping prism building with a tilted roof and a pleated exterior.

What’s cool: From the outside, the pleats allow a person to experience different things, depending on the angle they look at the building. At times, they may see inside the building, while at other times, they may see a reflection.

There also is a special room with a 35-foot ceiling for contemporary art.

What’s questionable: Joseph Giovannini, the architect heading the competition, worried there might not be sufficient hanging space with pleated walls, he said.

The staircases appeared slightly cramped, Wharton said.

Randall Stout Architects Inc.

The inspiration: Randall Stout, the design principal, walked through campus taking pictures of the landscape, noticing the harmony of buildings and nature, he said.

The vision: A continuous, looping staircase through art galleries in a three-story building. There are three primary spaces for events, and the lobby has the capacity to hold 200 people seated.

What’s cool: The art galleries are hovering and box-like.

The firm worked out a plan to maintain 63 of the 73 trees on the site, Stout said.

A black room is proposed to allow a space for light or digital art.

What’s questionable: The galleries seemed very standard, Giovannini said.

Morphosis

The inspiration: The firm tried to discovering how people observe one another and how they observe art, said Thom Mayne, principal architect.

The vision: The firm proposed a three-level museum with a first floor devoted entirely as a lobby area - with a bookstore, café and bathrooms.

What’s cool: Glass floors on each of the levels allow museumgoers to look up and down to observe sculptures and art pieces from different angles, Mayne said.

What’s questionable: There wasn’t a defined space for students to go and study, Wharton said.

The museum seemed to have two contrasting feelings, juror Michael Govan said.

“There’s the informality of students hanging out and the intense formality of grand stairs,” he said.