Art museum still raising funds for construction

NICE!

GO GREEN! GO WHITE! GO STATE!

This building is hideous. It’s an awful design that doesn’t go with any of the architecture on that side of campus, not to mention expensive for the University. Hopefully the fundraising efforts will go on indefinitely and we won’t have to endure watching such a monstrosity being built on campus.

“expensive for the University”

The Museum is being funded privately with the money of alumni and friends of MSU. MSU has no major expenses.

“This building is hideous”

Actually, the building is quite nice. The thing is that online it looks too futuristic but when it is finished it will be a great piece of art itself.

^Glad I’m Graduating” sadly proves, once again, MSU really needs to tighten up its admission standards and stop letting such low-brow/clods into our great university. One thing, Glad, you and I agree on: you can’t get your dumbass off our beautiful campus fast enough.

Glad’s position sums up what a lot of students think about the museum. A look through the SN’s previous articles will show you that. I think any poll of students on campus will prove that not many support the design/location of this building.

If it were simply a diseign dispute, I may slightly understand (but, btw, I think something new and different is needed; it’s across the street from the ugly 50-ish Student Services building, after all). can’t we appreciate modern, different? …
I’m not giving Glad that much credit. He also gripes about cost even though it’s clear (if the dunce would read) that it’s all going to be private money, most paid by the Broad’s… No, Glad is just an air-head who offers nothing logical to the discussion (just like the jerk on the letters page who pines for a higher “Party” rating for MSU…

… some MSU students like Glad make me ashamed to be a Spartan.

Do you think an experimental roof is likely to result in an abandoned
building? Bold, innovative artistic visions can inspire the masses.
Buildings that pancake under the snow load of a Michgan blizzard can
inspire critics of government waste. (Yes, I read, it’s all free
money … most Michigan taxpayers will not know, or care.)

I hope this building is never built. It is the ugliest building I think I’ve seen in a long time, and definitely should not exist on MSU’s campus. It looks like a gigantic speed boat for Christ’s sake! And of course they won’t comment on how much money they’ve raised for the museum because they haven’t raised shit. The general public and MSU alums don’t want that ugly POS on our beautiful campus and will not fund it.

Reading these negative comments reminds me that MSU students aren’t known for their love of the arts, which is not a strong area of the university.
This building reminds me of the way the pyramid entrance to the Louvre strikes you when you first see it. It is completely foreign to the surrounding structures. The Broad Museum will shock at first sight. It will be like a huge piece of sculpture sitting in the midst of all the traditional brick buildings. Its location will allow easier access to visitors who had a hard time finding Kresge. It will be a signature building for the campus beautiful – a high-point for the university. It will be cool!

“….MSU students aren’t known for their love of the arts, which is not a strong area of the university.”

You hit that nail squarely on the head,‘67Alum. An understatement, if anything, of the general campus take on visual arts and anything modern. I’d say this is true of most of the population too, especially in the midwest, so it’s predictable. Most people like the familiar, the traditional, what they’ve always seen and known. (“it’doesn’t go with’ the older buildings around it”) But, how can you be suprised, on a campus with the blandest, most monotonous collection of brick boxes imaginable. Pretty much everything south of the river looks the same and the look ain’t good. The great beauty of the campus comes from the wonderful landscaping and handsome pre-WW II buildings. Nothing really modern has ever been built or tried here.

You’re absolutely right in describing this building as a huge piece of sculpture. That’s exactly what is and it will be spectacular, I think….if it ever actually gets built. The last article I read about the building said that the construction contractors estimates were double or more the 40-45 million price originally announced. They really don’t know how to build this thing so they try to cover their butts with very high bids. They’re already thinking about how they’re going to get sued when it leaks like a sieve, I bet.

With the repeated delays in construction start and talk about more fund raising, I’ve begun to question whether it’s ever going to get built….at least this design. I wouldn’t be at all suprised if there isn’t eventually a switch to a more conventional, affordable and buildable design.

If this design is built, I guarantee the building’s going to be a maintenance nightmare. Ohio State had this experience 15 or so years ago with its architecturally distinctive museum (Wexner) and it’s pretty ordinary looking compared to Broad. After just a couple years of trouble-filled use, it was closed for a long time and essentially rebuilt inside at huge cost.

Though, like you, I think the design of the building is exciting and am convinced it would be a real magnet and asset for the campus, I also have serious doubts about how well it would actually function as a museum…..interior spaces conducive to displaying art well. The few pics of the interiors don’t look so great in that regard. A great looking sculptural object is swell but first and foremost, its got to work as a museum or it’s a failure. Noboby is even talking about that.

Anyway, ‘67Alum, thanks much for your astute observations and remarks. I agree with everthing you had to say.

There is something very important that needs to be mentioned.

Many criticized the architecture on campus as being monotonous and that it doesn’t help to the beautiful landscape that makes the MSU campus one of the most beautiful in the country.

Well, we must remember that being MSU a state-funded University it relies on funds provided by the state to build, maintain and renovate the facilities. And, as we all know, state funding for Michigan universities has declined dramatically, and MSU is allocating resources were they are must needed. New buildings is not a priority.

In fact, although having modern facilities is a priority at every university in the nation, it is not a priority when the funds have to come out of the universities. For example, take a look at Big Ten universities. The overwhelming majority of the new facilities built at these institutions, if not all of them, come from private funding during capital campaigns or just random donations. Let’s look at MSU, during the capital campaign Marshall-Adams (Economics) was renovated, the modern biochemistry building was built, the Broads funded the Business College renovation and development of facilities, Spartan Stadium got the new tower, the Breslin Center got the new basketball practice facility, and many other renovations like these took place with private money. Even the Ivy League colleges rely on private funding for their new facilities and they don’t spend revenue on major renovations since they are entirely private funded.

So, don’t criticize each other. We all have opinions regarding many things and we have to respect that. Eventually, we’ll see how the Museum turns out and we’ll learn to appreciate and value it.

It is nice that the Broads continue to be an example of philanthropy and loyalty to MSU. As this great University develops a tradition of philanthropy, the alumni of MSU have to recognize that their Alma Mater is improving dramatically in every aspect even in one of the most difficult financial times for the University. Being MSU the University with the least tuition dollars per student in the Big Ten, MSU alumni need to step up and give something back to support me and other fellow students that represent a new breed of Spartans with the hope of becoming better and, in the future, give back to MSU.

The thing is that when you take a look at the rest of the universities in the nation great universities have great private support from their alumni and others. MSU is developing that support and it has one of the largest endowments in the nation but we need to maintain that momentum to maintain and improve the quality of MSU.

GO GREEN! GO WHITE! GO STATE!

“We all have opinions regarding many things and we have to respect that.”

Well, actually we don’t….. we don’t at all. In fact, I would suggest that respect should definitely not be extended when the opinions expressed make no sense whatsoever, are painfully lacking in reasoning, or are based on blatant factual inaccuracies.

We are not in the ‘hood here, now are we, with every idiot yapping about disrespect? In an academic setting, especially, respect is earned, not a right.

You, for instance, lose credibility and respect for your thesis (whatever it is) when so much of what you post as fact is simply untrue (“take a look at Big Ten universities. The overwhelming majority of the new facilities built at these institutions, if not all of them, come from private funding during capital campaigns or just random donations.”)(“MSU…has one of the largest endowments in the nation”)(“Being MSU the University with the least tuition dollars per student in the Big Ten”), or when you chatter away nonsensically without coherence or point.(“Even the Ivy League colleges rely on private funding for their new facilities and they don’t spend revenue on major renovations since they are entirely private funded.) HINT: look up the word “tautology.”

I have to wonder….are you just making things up for convenience as you write because you have no interest in accuracy, or do you genuinely believe that these statements are true? They’re not.

Time to “step up” to better reasoning and writing. Now, what was that very important thing you were going to say about monotonous MSU campus buildings before you got distracted?

“I would suggest that respect should definitely not be extended when the opinions expressed make no sense whatsoever, are painfully lacking in reasoning, or are based on blatant factual inaccuracies.” — observer

Amen, observer, and I agree with the gist of what you’re saying otherwise… Look, MSU has a diversified group of people who attend and are alums, and many (dare I say, most) appreciate the main facts of this endeavor: a) this museum will substantially raise the appreciation of art in the community and, at the same time, esp thru its architecture (for after all, the essence of architecture is art, b) the facility (esp its funky, modernistic architecture) will raise the status of MSU as an institution that appreciates the arts locally and nationally – hell, it already has as the New York Times has already run several pieces chronically the new building and architect Zaha Hadid, who’s internationally renowned, and c) this project is funded solely by private fundraises lead by billionaire alum Eli Broad, who obviously loves his alma mater based on this project and the millions he’s already dropped on this school, most notably, the Biz school that bears his name (after he donated over 20M, which at the time was the largest ever sum given to a business school)… It’s a win-win proposition on all fronts.
Unfortunately, too often, the weak minded among our Spartans speaks too often and too loudly and end up representing the rest of us. People like “Glad I’m Graduating” and “Ugly” above. They have nothing intelligent to offer and more often than not (esp “Glad” in his comments) , let you know they probably got turned down by UM (or some other good school), hate MSU and ultimately, probably hate themselves on some level. So they hang around and make life miserable for all of us. It’s that same fringe who are more likely to riot, destroy property and hurt that name of MSU and not give a sh*t about it. As someone who graduated just over 10 years ago, I thought as the University’s profile and quality had continued to be enhanced (and it was a good school when I was here, too), we had shaken out most of the “Glad/Ugly” types… apparently not.
If there are those who have legit concerns about the architecture and fitting in and meshing with the beautiful old buildings and landscape with North campus, that’s one thing. I think they’re misguided because if you look at classic beautiful Ivy League campuses like Yale and Princeton, they too have funky modern architecture to liven things up – it’s the nature of a progressive, high-quality university: respect the old, but have the vision and adaptability for the present and future… But those who simply want to tear down MSU just for the hell of it… well, they can GO TO hell, as far as I’m concerned.

It would easily be the most interesting and fascinating building in mid-Michigan, if not the entire state. I sincerely hope that the architect can find solutions working with the contractors to maintain the integrity of the design. If/when this building is built it will be an attraction unto itself. Are there risks? Certainly! But if it succeeds it will be spectacular and that is something that East Lansing and the MSU campus has in small supply.

^^btw, I want to also applaud both student and ’67 Alum for both their thoughtful comments, as well…

… and Karl, too…

Townsend, how is it that comments like “It would easily be the most interesting and fascinating building” ‘thoughtful’, while comments such as “This building is hideous” ‘low-brow’ and ‘dumb’? They are both statements expressing one’s opinion of the buildings design. The only difference is that one you agree with while the other you do not.

I guess I must be dumb too, because I agree that it’s a hideous design. Just because it’s art, doesn’t mean it’s good art.

Regardless of whether I like it or not though, I wonder how they will fit it on that small piece of land.

The person who said that the building was “hideous” got his/her facts wrong and was corrected by someone else. The ones who praised it actually made thoughtful comments (like ’67 Alum who made a reference to the Louvre).

Do you find this comment to be thoughtful at all? “The general public and MSU alums don’t want that ugly POS on our beautiful campus and will not fund it.”

WHY WON’T EVERYONE APPRECIATE THIS AWESOME BUILDING ALREADY

I don’t see how one is any more than the other. My point is that someone isn’t dumb just because you disagree with their opinion.

I think an art museum is a fine idea. Not only good for the University but valuable to promoting art. However, many people dislike the proposed design and are protective of MSU’s historic architecture and image. Those people will not donate funds to build Hadid’s design. ‘Ugly’ has a point there.

At the end of the day, I never did ask for debate, only appreciation. There is simply no valid reason to be unappreciative unless you hate art.

Some fraud is faking my screen name — which I’ve used for some time, w/ the last several posts… MY LAST POST was on 8/17, just so ya know… Whoever’s faking me, I’m glad you have a twisted enough mind and enough time to waste on silly stuff…

Badk to the issue: my only question, once again, is if this building is so ugly and in-harmonious (word?) with the others, how do account for the (bland-to-ugly) 50s/60s Student Services building, across the street from where the Broad Museum will rise, or the very bland Paolucci building that the museum is replacing… If you can’t answer this and are only ragging on the supposed “ugliness” of the museum, I think you’re full of it and are not adding anything intelligent to the conversation.

… also, I echo the comment of the excellent location of the new museum bridging EL and Campus, as well as being on North Campus which is the Liberal Artsy part of MSU — so glad MSU is not moving it, like it’s doing w/ so many programs (like many in the soon-to-be-demolished Morrill Hall) to the srawling, ugly, tech-oriented South campus…

i dont know what mr. townsend is trying to pull but i agree with msu employee. people that find the building ugly dont want to pay for its maintenance.

Love the design but NOT the location on campus. For the most part, buildings north of Red Cedar should stay as the more historic side of campus. A perfect place for the Broad Museum is the old CATA station location, which is now an ugly parking lot next to Shaw and Farm Ln.

If you don’t want to pay for the maintenance, then dis enroll yourself from the university.