Minneapolis Sculpture Garden & Walker Art Center

[mattaudio]

And seriously calling things like berms being suburban is just dull.

How so? Growing up in the burbs, berms were the answer to everything. Screening, setbacks, etc. Living in the city, I never see berms.

[mulad]

They're around. Well, the biggest example I can think of is the sound wall along the west side of the Blue Line/Hiawatha Ave corridor.

This does seem like it's dialing a bit too far toward the idea of adding green space without attempting to make it very useful. The existing space is mostly concrete/stone with only a few "potholes" of greenery.

I don't mind the added green space so much, but it would be nice to have a few "patio" spaces, like 25x25-foot flat paved areas that can allow seating while being surrounded by trees/flowers/bushes/tall grasses.

[grant1simons2]

Yes they are seen a lot in the burbs, but they're also downtown. Hennepin Country plaza, federal court plaza just to name the first to come to mind. Others around the world are some parks in New York and plazas in Paris

[mullen]

I'm definitely not in love with the new landscaping, particularly at the main entrance. It looks ruthlessly cheap and suburban. Berms? Ugh. Why.

This corner is the most visible side of the museum and the gateway to one of the biggest attractions in the Twin Cities paired with the Sculpture Garden. When passersby approach the area, it should be obvious that they're outside one of the premier modern art museums in the country, and not an urgent care clinic in Coon Rapids.

so those large letters spelling walker art center don't do it for ya eh?
this is an inspired and beautiful contribution to the park space of the city. understated and functional. thanks to the walker patrons who contribute so that we all may enjoy. both the west side hennepin and east hillside will be softened, layered and provide greater use and enjoyment. with the sculpture garden this will become the connected green space/campus it always aspired to be.

[TroyGBiv]

Can we start a Walker Art Center topic... That construction should be begun in the next 12 months.

[TroyGBiv]

http://www.startribune.com/walker-art-c ... 298020171/

[Wedgeguy]

I'm liking the exterior refinements. So glad to see the terrible landscape on Hennepin being replace with a much greener vision. I sure hope that they can make the interior of the museum more straight forward and user friendly. When I've been in there, I always feel like I might have missed something by missing a corridor or something. Very glad to see the addition of trees to the old Guthrie site. That area has been so under developed and used.

[John]

If the truth be known , this project is really to rectify several of the significant flaws of the Herzog & de Meuron addition. I will never figure out why the Walker Board of Directors approved the design. In particular, I'll never know why they approved the Hennepin Ave side to be the main entrance. I mean c'mon, how foolish could they be Anyways, the new project will improve the museum greatly and hopefully create a better , more coherent flow for museum goers to navigate the complex.

Interesting how much better Herzog's De Young art museum in San Francisco turned out. Modern architecture fans who visit SF should make the effort to see it.. It's amazing: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=DeY ... ORM=HDRSC2

[mattaudio]

But it won't de-ugly the addition, will it?
Belongs here: http://kunstler.com/featured-eyesore-of-the-month/

[grant1simons2]

In your own opinion, no it won't Matt.

[mister.shoes]

Count me in as someone who really likes the addition.

[Wedgeguy]

I like the building, but not happy with it's layout. This new addition and rearrangement of the flow between the two sections, will make it a much more user friendly building. I see no reason that the museum's main entrance can't be on Vineland, with the performing center's main entrance being there on Hennepin. It is a building with multiple missions, performance art and tangible art.

[Archiapolis]

I like the building, but not happy with it's layout. This new addition and rearrangement of the flow between the two sections, will make it a much more user friendly building. I see no reason that the museum's main entrance can't be on Vineland, with the performing center's main entrance being there on Hennepin. It is a building with multiple missions, performance art and tangible art.

Nailed it! Now if we could just put Hennepin/Lyndale on a major road diet it would all just come together...

[Wedgeguy]

They say work is to start this year, but I have seen little if any preconstruction work to move utilities and other supposed areas. To be honest I don't think that have even nailed down what they plan to do at this time. I think they are 85% there, but I still think they have issues that they are hoping to resolve before it is made permanent when the construction contracts are signed next year.