That looks really cool! cant wait to see it in person!
Jimmy: Hey, what gives? Jimmy's Dad: You said you wanted to live in a world without zinc Jimmy. Well now your car has no battery. Jimmy: But I promised Betty I'd pick her up by 6:00. I better give her a call. Jimmy's Dad: Sorry Jimmy. Without zinc for the rotary mechanism, there are no telephones. Jimmy: Dear God! What have I done? (Jimmy pulls out a gun and points it to his head and fires) Jimmy's Dad: Think again Jimmy. You see the firing pin in your gun was made out of…yep…zinc. Jimmy: Come back zinc, Come Back!!
Nice al-alo....
This building is about as stimulating as Depew High School. I guess adding Zinc on the walls lets you feel proud about a shoe box. ;) But at least BP has a new home and the inside looks great for the art to be displayed.
I am sorry, but this building is ugly and has no soul. I am not against modern architecture, but common this is just an ugly zinc box, even if it was gold plated, it would be a ugly gold box.
B-P didn't choose zinc. The architects chose zinc. That's what they put on a lot of their buildings. It doesn't matter where the buildings are or what they are used for, Gwathmey thinks zinc is cool.
B-P rolled over and let the architects do their thing. B-P should have demanded on day one that this be a building that is welcoming to the general public. Instead we've got an ugly box that shoves a blank wall in the public's face.
Can someone tell me what happened to the planned sculpture garden facing Elmwood? And what about the design competition for the sculpture?
This building's been panned on this site from the moment the shovel hit the earth, but I'm liking it. As the project progresses it has grown on me. Look forward to seeing the interior.
I don't have a problem with zinc, I like the look. But if zinc's green certification is the result of its being a natural metal, does lead qualify as a green material?
Queenseyes, Do you think the BP handled the selection of design and public relations for this project with the best possible interests of the neighborhood and the architectural pedigree of Buffalo in mind? Sure, it's their museum, but it deeply affects a vital neighborhood, including Olmsted designed greenspace. Do you really think it was acceptable for the EVA to have to file a freedom of information request just to see the plans? And then have to deal with the arrogance of the BP when they asked the board a few simple questions? It's too late to reprise how dreary the most public side of the building is, but hasn't BRO done enough cheerleading for the design?
I was not a fan of the design and am not impressed with the look of the building as construction nears completion. Even though the drawings seem to indicate no natural daylight for the exhibition galleries, I'm hoping that the quality of the interior space will redeem the value of the overall structure in my eyes. At least Buffalo was spared the garish look of the ROM in Toronto. The new Burchfield-Penney is uninspired but at least it ain't offensive.
There's no neighborhood there, or foot traffic for the building to welcome. It's fine, stop griping and be happy it's getting done, and let's get some art in there!
I think it's cool they found a re-use for all those old dorm bricks. Can't wait to see the art inside all shrunk down to size by those huge blank walls.
I am getting to like the building more as it gets near completion. Yes, noone likes to think of a box as something pretty (curious though), however, i'm not an architect for museums and i'm thinking there would be a progressive reason for the chosen design for lighting and form for the exterior. Congrats to the board for approving an LEED design! Can't wait to see it with the art inside (then people, including myself, will be able to make their educated opinion about the building's final result).
I have to drive by this horrid building everyday. It is a shame that this design was selected. Very disappointed to see what looks like a high school added to Elmwood Ave.
I love how flys off the handle when the entire building is not done yet. Relax people. Everyone act like the design of the building is destroying their lives.
Gives Buffalo a building by a big name modern firm thus adding to the city's portfolio of work by blue chip architects....unfortunately this isn't their best work by a longshot. The psychiatric center, Guarantee, Kleinhans and Darwin Martin house were done by (now) revered architects and are considered to be at the top of their styles. That is why they have stood the test of time.
I wonder if maybe the BP didn't have the budget to spring for something a little more visually striking? I don't think that this is the sort of building that people will grow to love. It'll forever be a building that will require the apologetic plea "but it's a Gwathmey!"
The zinc doesn't impress. Is it really more natural and green and praiseworthy than wrapping a building in aluminum foil? This developments represents only what more could have been done, with a bit more vision, and a lot more public involvement. Portland has a LEED Platinum building. Will folks from that city take note of our LEED Silver, throwback-to-the-1980s college gallery?
This building will be a blip on the screen in national architecture circles, but people will still come far and wide to visit the Richardson complex which this building so blithely dishonors.
This project overall is a big gain for the community. I do wonder if there should be some kind of volunteer architectural advisory board(maybe four architects/academics) that could offer criticism and informed recommendations to public institutions about which architects to choose for a project. To some degree we can predict what Gwathmey Siegel will design and the same goes for Richard Gluckman(hired for the Albright-Knox).
Last september, Cincinnati Art Museum selected the dutch firm Neutelings Riedijk Architects for its expansion project. This is a clever choice for the museum because it will be this young firm's first project in the US and a precious opportunity to expose themselves. They also recently completed The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision building celebrated in this NY Times review. Because of this context and the expectations involved, the Cincinatti Museum is more likely than the Albright-Knox or B-P to receive a bold yet carefully considered design. It is also more likely to be featured in newspapers and journals around the world. It was a risk that is likely to pay off more that our more conservative choices here in Buffalo.
The following is from the February 15, 2006, issue of The Buffalo News:
A main objection is that the building's entrance faces the parking lot and is not visible from Elmwood, leaving pedestrians to face a tall, windowless wall set back from the street. [...]
Pietrzak said an entrance onto Elmwood had been considered but wasn't possible because the museum needed a traffic circle to accommodate the safe drop-off of schoolchildren and special-needs visitors. He said as a college building, it also needed to open up to the campus.
"Any possible design would not have worked to make a front entrance on Elmwood Avenue," Pietrzak said. He added that the height of the wall and the building's distance from the street were dictated in part by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
i don't understand the value of criticism, whats so wrong with the design? Zinc is a pretty cool product to paint with, maybe they are installing it to interfere with the radio signals on elmwood?
The problem with B-P is not that the design is too conservative. There are plenty of bold buildings done by flash architects that are eyesores.
The problem here is that the building was not designed to address its urban context. It takes away from the vitality of the street, instead of adding to it. Instead of having a lively building that opens to the street (and to passersby, and motorists) we have a blank wall that detracts from a lively urban experience (we won't even talk about the blank walls facing the historic Olmsted Richardson project). That is why most of us like living in cities. It is the lively, urban experience that attracts people.
B-P has mentioned in the past that security was a big concern. That may speak volumes about the way they see the city, and how much interaction they really want with it. It is no accident that the main entrance faces the parking lot. Many of those cars will be driving in from the "safe" suburbs.
Hamp, there is no vitality on that section of Elmwood. There's no urban context, there's no street, and no passersby. People fly up and down that stretch of Elmwood on their way to the 198 or Forest and could care less about the buildings on either side. You act like they plopped it in the middle of Delaware park.
Eric Oak doesn't like the project. Now there is a real shocker. I realize you are trying to add to place, but the context and design always needs to be on your terms, as if the standards you set should be applied universally and we are merely morons in your shadow. Jackass.
LEED certification should not be given to a building with its main entrance to a parking lot rather than a sidewalk. Of course it is done all the time like for the E&E building in Lancaster that isn't even on a bus route! But LEED certification is given by a building industry group that likes to make itself think it is promoting good buildings even if they are designed for the auto-age.
I notice plenty of buses that drop off children at the Theater of Youth on Allen Street. Seems they don't need a circle at the entrance because the school buses are wisely designed with their doors on the right side of the bus so that students don't hop off a bus into traffic. The BPC should look into those unique bus designs.
Also the entrance facing the parking lot does not face the campus. The campus is north of the building, the entrance faces west.
The State Historic Preservation Office never objected to a BPC building built to the sidewalk. SHPO expressed dismay that the College began discussions with SHPO after the building was designed. Then the College agreed to make a few changes.
The new B-P is freaking amazing! From the inside to the outside this museum is awesome! Of course the door is going to face the parking lot, thats where the majority of visitors are going to come from! How many people walk from their house to visit local museums? There might be a couple hundred who do, but the majority of people who visit museums drive to get there! The educated thing to do would be to place the entrance of the museum closest to where the majority of visitors are coming from (the parking lot)! As for the entrance of the museum in terms of Buffalo State College: Students must walk east, up Rockwell Road, in order to get there! So the entrence is in the right place for the majority of people who plan on visitiing it!
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