New Whitney Museum

[Karl-G]

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Whitney Museum of American Art in the southwestern part of Manhattan, next to the High Line Garden and overlooking the Hudson River and amidst the exciting art scene of Chelsea. It was designed by Renzo Piano, who also designed the Pompidou Museum / Beaubourg Centre in Paris.

 

The Whitney was founded in 1931 by a woman, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. (MoMA was also founded at that time by a small group of women.) It was the first museum in the world to show only American art of the 20th century. It has moved several times over the years as it grew and expanded. Today it is at 75th and Madison in a famous building by Marcel Breuer, but one very limited in size. The crowding and lack of space is so bad, that the last time I visited (several years ago), I swore I would never return and waste time again.

 

But the new building looks exciting and brilliant. A marvelous video has been created showing the virtual museum, and if I am still around in 2015 when it opens, I will definitely go to see it. The museum has many wonderful treasures in its collection, but it has been unable to show more than a few at a time for many years. The new building will allow them to expand greatly. The four rooftop terraces seem a brilliant idea in its location, providing additional display space and also taking advantage of the city views, river vistas, and the marvelous High Line Garden right next door. I have always enjoyed those external glass enclosed escalators at the Pompidou and the gorgeous views of Paris and the neighborhood which they offer, and I think the new Whitney will offer wonderful outdoor views of New York in a similar way.

 

http://whitney.org/About/NewBuilding?query=Future

[cany10011]

The new Renzo Piano building will be quite lovely. It will also be down the street from where I live! Thanks for sharing.

 

 

 

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Whitney Museum of American Art in the southwestern part of Manhattan, next to the High Line Garden and overlooking the Hudson River and amidst the exciting art scene of Chelsea. It was designed by Renzo Piano, who also designed the Pompidou Museum / Beaubourg Centre in Paris.

 

The Whitney was founded in 1931 by a woman, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. (MoMA was also founded at that time by a small group of women.) It was the first museum in the world to show only American art of the 20th century. It has moved several times over the years as it grew and expanded. Today it is at 75th and Madison in a famous building by Marcel Breuer, but one very limited in size. The crowding and lack of space is so bad, that the last time I visited (several years ago), I swore I would never return and waste time again.

 

But the new building looks exciting and brilliant. A marvelous video has been created showing the virtual museum, and if I am still around in 2015 when it opens, I will definitely go to see it. The museum has many wonderful treasures in its collection, but it has been unable to show more than a few at a time for many years. The new building will allow them to expand greatly. The four rooftop terraces seem a brilliant idea in its location, providing additional display space and also taking advantage of the city views, river vistas, and the marvelous High Line Garden right next door. I have always enjoyed those external glass enclosed escalators at the Pompidou and the gorgeous views of Paris and the neighborhood which they offer, and I think the new Whitney will offer wonderful outdoor views of New York in a similar way.

 

http://whitney.org/About/NewBuilding?query=Future

[Steven_Draker]

Great project. I thought we needed some pictures here to illustrate Karl-G's excellent post.

 

http://www.evolo.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/whitney-museum-9.jpg

 

http://www.evolo.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/whitney-museum-5.jpg

 

http://www.evolo.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/whitney-museum-8.jpg

 

http://www.evolo.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/whitney-museum-6.jpg

[foxy]

No mention as to what will happen with the old building which I don't think too many embraced. Hardly seems condo material.

[+ Charlie]

I hate it! And it is going to be right across the street from a sacred historical site, the old Mine Shaft.

[Steven_Draker]

I hate it!

 

Then you must adooooore Renzo Piano's Pompidou building aka Beaubourg in Paris which is so beautifully nestled in total harmony with its environment in the heart of historical Marais.

[Karl-G]

New Whitney

 

1. When the Marcel Breuer building of 1966 was first opened, I liked it very much. The style of New Brutalism seemed appropriate for the brash, powerful, large Abstract Expressionist works exploding in New York at the time. And architecturally, it worked in many good ways. I enjoyed the moat and the lower, quiet outdoor courtyard and cafe; I enjoyed the shape of an "inverted New York ziggurat" in contrast to all the other nearby buildings with their setbacks - the Whitney surged forward over the sidewalk; and the galleries were large, wide open, and very effective spaces for showing the new works. But over the years, things changed and probably so did I. Every time I went after that (I do not live in NY) only a few small galleries on the top floor displayed the permanent collection; the remainder of the museum was devoted to showing the works of a couple of contemporary artists, constantly changing. It seems to me that in NYC, there are hundreds of galleries which can and do show contemporary American artists; the purpose of a museum is different. When Gertrude founded her museum, there was no one showing American art - this was the only place. But that has not been true for over 50 years now. She and her museum changed that. It seems that the proposed new museum recognizes that; two floors of the museum will be devoted to the permanent collection - apparently permanently. I hope so.

 

2. The current Whitney (Old Building?) is being sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That seems very interesting and potentially very good to me. I can think of several good uses for it. For example, the current space for the late 20th century collection of Murial Newman (which is excellent) is in the back basement of the Met in a very unattractive area. It would be splendid in the Whitney. (On the other hand, does New York [or do we] need four major art museums all showing late 20th century American art - MoMA, Guggenheim, Met, and Whitney?)

 

3. Steven, I'm confused. I'm not sure what that building is which appears in your photos. Does that building currently exist next to the High Line? The last photo surely looks like a computer generated interior. But it is not the proposed new museum. The building which appears in the video from the dedication Tuesday is a very different building.

 

4. The Beaubourg / Pompidou Center. I can understand why someone who knew the "old Paris" might not like the architecture of the Art Center and might prefer to live in and wander the old streets of the Marais District. But Paris has an awful lot of narrow old streets. On the other hand, I enjoy the Beaubourg very much. In the old days I wandered through Les Halles and had fun. But the time came when I was afraid to walk around that area at night; it had become very bad and very seedy. I do not believe in tearing things down just because they are old and replacing them with something new just because it is new. But I also do not believe in saving everything old just because it is old. (I do not think that saving those old brownstones along Madison Avenue next to the Whitney is necessarily a good thing, but perhaps I do not understand as a New Yorker might.)

 

The new Beaubourg and the environs have given me enormous pleasure over the years. Once I turn the corner from a narrow street and enter into the great plaza in front of the museum, I feel different, elated, excited, eager. The vitality it brings to that part of the city is very great. The museum contains a wonderful art collection in good space, far better than the old musem of modern art. The area around the Stravinsky Fountain is one of my favorite areas in Paris, and I always have lunch there. The Luxembourg Gardens are lovely, but I also want to know I am in 20th century Paris. The thought occurs to me, would you have liked the Eifel Tower in 1889? I do not know if I would.

 

The Beaubourg has revitalized that whole area of Paris for everyone, I think, inhabitants and tourists alike. I realize M. Pompidou's ego and the colossal architecture which resulted is sometimes not good; the library is bad, IMO. But the Beaubourg Centre, I like.

[Steven_Draker]

I stand corrected

 

3. Steven, I'm confused. I'm not sure what that building is which appears in your photos. Does that building currently exist next to the High Line? The last photo surely looks like a computer generated interior. But it is not the proposed new museum. The building which appears in the video from the dedication Tuesday is a very different building.

 

I'm sorry about this confusion. Terrible mistake from my part. The pictures I posted above are from a competitive project.

 

Here is what The Whitney Museum of American Art designed by Renzo Piano will look like by 2015

 

http://curbed.com/uploads/whitneymuseum.jpg

 

Source: http://curbed.com/tags/whitney-museum

http://www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl/2011/05/renzo_pianos_meteorite_downtow.html

[+ Charlie]

Well. that is a more attractive building, though it doesn't look much like a museum. Like Karl-G, I actually like Beaubourg, which I think is a nice contrast to the neighborhood, although I was sorry to see Les Halles torn down.

[Steven_Draker]

I like much better Beaubourg 2

[Diverdan]

Thanks guys for these great posts and information. Now I have a couple of new places to visit.

[+ bigjoey]

I was just at the Whitney. The second floor has part of the "Founder's Collection" (part of the 1,000 works that Gertrude Whitney gave to start the collection); it is a good historical show on American art from the time and will be good to see these works on permanent display plus the later added pieces in the collection.

 

They have a model of the new building plus drawings that show what it will be like.

 

Danny Meyers took over the cafe, now called "Untitled" and the food is very good; suggest combining lunch or breakfast with a trip there.