Broad Art Museum to finish later than planned
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MSU painted a troublesome picture of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum’s future on Wednesday, saying it didn’t expect to break ground on the project until March 2010, more than a year and a half later than originally planned.
According to a university press release, ground will be broken on the museum next spring, and the museum will open in 2012. When the project was announced last winter, plans called for breaking ground in fall 2008 and completing the museum by 2010.
The State News first reported March 30 the university’s struggle to complete the project within its $40 million budget and timetable.
Among the challenges the university faces are a costlier-than-expected design and struggle to raise funds in addition to an initial donation from billionaire MSU alumnus Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe.
When the project was announced in January 2008, the projected cost of the museum was $40 million – $26 million of which was donated by the Broads.
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However, initial cost estimates for the project were about four times more than the original $40 million, at about $160 million.
In February, MSU’s Associate Provost for Academic Services Linda Stanford said the project would still be completed in the $40-million range.
There were some issues with cost and making sure we had enough donations to make it happen, Stanford said in February. “We’re still close to that. It’ll be close to $40 million.”
Stanford declined further comment about the museum Wednesday.
The projected total cost of the museum now stands to be somewhere between $40 million and $45 million, according to the university release.
“Over the course of the last 14 months, we have been working to assure the architectural, programmatic and financial viability of the project,” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said in a prepared statement. “With the timeline confirmed, we are pleased we are moving forward.”
MSU announced Zaha Hadid, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, and her London firm, Zaha Hadid Limited, would serve as architect of the museum in January 2008. Hadid’s firm was chosen from five internationally recognized firms that submitted proposals.
Jed Dingens, a teaching specialist in the MSU School of Planning, Design and Construction, said he wasn’t surprised the ground breaking date was pushed back.
Dingens has examined the drawings of the art museum and uses them for senior projects in his classes.
“That’s the right time frame. They will need that much time to get it all squared away,” he said.
The university press release also identified Integrated Design Solutions, a Grand Rapids-based architecture firm, as the lead American firm on the project.
Dingens said the previous American architecture firm attached to the project was based in Cincinnati and had helped on another one of Hadid’s American designs. Dingens said the switch was a good choice, but didn’t give a reason as to why it happened.
“It’s the right architect and now they have the right amount of time to get it done and they’re going to be able to dial in that budget,” he said.
Dingens said it was important for Simon to announce a date for completion to ensure the project would make its latest deadline.
“The president is on record calling for this to happen so that puts everyone in motion,” he said. “If she didn’t make such an announcement, it might be another uncontrolled time frame, but now it looks like a year from now we will be breaking ground.
“It’s going to spur serious activity.”
Commentary
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Sparty
(04/08/09 5:30pm)Report
Thats rather unfortunate… while the recession and tough credit markets have to hurt the ability to raise the additional funds, lets get it together and get this great museum built as soon as possible.
Thank you, again for your extremely generous donation Eli and Edythe Broad! You are an outstanding MSU Alum
SteveL
(04/08/09 11:15pm)Report
Will someone explain to me how a building so grotesque could cost $160 million dollars? Oh , maybe we have to get it from Mars, because it looks like a UFO just landed on north campus. This sure is a screwed up project. If you think getting fund raising dollars for such an enterprise is difficult now, just wait until inflation kicks in and what is a $40-$45 million dollar project will be twice that.
TB
(04/09/09 9:13am)Report
It would be a tragedy if that building is ever built on this campus. I’m actually a huge fan of modern architecture but that’s just ugly. The Pompidou is a great example of ma. The pyramids outside of the Louvre are not. This building is not.
Also, why not look around at some Michigan architects. Integrated Architecture also of GR has better designs than this. I’m pretty sure I could come up with a better design than this. Please, please, please go back to the drawing board.
Anonymous
(04/09/09 9:39am)Report
As an alum and an EL resident, I couldn’t agree more with most of the other comments. This design is atrocious. It is insensitive to the buildings around it, both on campus and off. I too don’t mind modern architecture, but this is really awful. Also, modern architecture has its place. This would not look nearly as out of place on south campus, but let’s have a little respect for our history and the beauty that is north campus. I want the art museum to expand and have a bigger presence on campus and in the community, but not like this…very sad.
ThisIsMadness
(04/09/09 9:53am)Report
I don’t know why they accepted this awful design either. They spent all this money in 05-06 on the new Grand River Parking Ramp to look like the buildings around it (Olin, Morrill Hall) and they think its a good idea to accept this design?? Not to mention the structural integrity is pretty much shot as it is. It’s gonna be nothing but a pile of leaks and maintenance issues.
Rob
(04/09/09 9:54am)Report
What a hideous structure to place on a such a beautiful campus. Is it just me or does it look like Munn Arena morphed?! Maybe we could place it over on that part of campus so they could complement each other.
ewww sick
(04/09/09 12:07pm)Report
i too think its ugly. the money would be better spent if the broads donated the millions for scholarships and such. spread the wealth by helping underprivileged get a college education, not by building this disgusting piece of sh*t. Abbott place condos are using it as a selling point…this is the exact reason i dont wanna buy a condo there…each morning looking out the window i would have to see this poor excuse of a “modern” building…no thanks!
ewww sick
(04/09/09 12:09pm)Report
whoops..meant Albert Place condos
student
(04/09/09 2:43pm)Report
I disagree with all the previous comments. First of all, the pictures above are just renderings and an approximation of how it would look. Second, changes are being done to the design to lower costs and add more gallery space. So, materials and the overall design is being change and this will make it more useful and, maybe, change how it looks. Third, I know the building is modern, and that is what we need on campus and in East Lansing. We need architectural variations to complement the city, add points of interest, and just have something different. Fourth, if you pass by the area of construction, you will notice that the museum is in an open area that, in some way, is isolated from many buildings and it serves as a welcome to campus from the east side. Specifically, if you see to the east of the museum the closest buildings are in the area of Sny-Phi across the street and very distant, to the south you have the Student Service Bldg that merges in a good way with the museum due to the colors and design of both buildings, and to the west you combine the modern architecture with the collegiate gothic designs. I think its great.
Ben
(04/09/09 4:07pm)Report
I’m thinking this is the DeLorean of art museums. It looks all futuristic NOW, but in twenty years we’re all going to be wondering how anyone ever thought such an outdated pile of metal was so great.
08 Alum
(04/09/09 4:18pm)Report
There are plans in the works to renovate Student Services so this eyesore will stand out no matter what. That part of campus is arguably the most beautiful because of the historical, ivy-covered buildings. I don’t think anybody is saying make an exact replica of any of those buildings for the art museum, I think people would just like a building that can be appreciated as part of campus not the sideshow of campus!
nbh
(04/11/09 9:26pm)Report
I am not sure that the donors have any idea the impact of the building as currently conceived. could we not create a ‘green’ museum or is ‘be spartan green’ just a (horrible) meaningless slogan? could we not create a building that honors the history of the campus by being in accord with its architectural surroundings?
complain
(04/12/09 10:24am)Report
Do you guys have anything better to do than complaining about everything under the sun?
Awful
(04/12/09 11:18pm)Report
This building is disgusting. To me, it looks like a speedboat. It is going to look so bad in that area of campus. In fact, it would look terrible anywhere on campus. It may fit in a city, where a bunch of new, modern architecture is being built, but not here in good ‘ole east lansing. There is no building on campus that even resembles this (but i agree with the munn statement), and there is a reason for that. Why is the University of Michigan (hate to bring them up) so beautiful (for the most part)? Because they don’t building buildings like this awful piece of sh*t. If President Simon ever reads the state news, then read this: Please, PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS BUILDING BE BUILT. HEAR THE CRIES OF THE STUDENTS WHO LIVE HERE. DON’T DO IT!
Garyfr
(04/16/09 1:33pm)Report
Some of you sound like those who wanted a statue instead of the wall at the Vietnam Memorial. The now one of the most beloved memorials in the country and the statue that was built to appease the artistic luddites is hardly even noticed. I am not saying the current design is great if the cost is 4 times the cost that it was intended to be built for. However we do not need another brick and glass square for the Broads signature building at MSU.