WSJ Reviews

December 10th, 2008 at 12:45pm Josh

There’s a pair of great articles in the Wall Street Journal this morning on the Museum. The first is by the renowned architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable (who reviewed the original Edward Durrell Stone building at 2 Columbus Circle when it was first opened in 1964 in an article that forever branded that structure as the ‘lollipop building’ ), and the second a review of our exhibitions by Dominique Browning.

The museum’s move to our new building was a long and complicated affair, and many of our critics then and now did not and do not present the facts fully. In her article, Setting the Record Straight on 2 Columbus Circle , Huxtable says:

(I)f faux history does not support a cause, neither does ignoring facts because they are obstacles to desires. The structural report on 2 Columbus Circle found the screen past reasonable preservation or repair…The fasteners holding the marble to the underlying frame were not all stainless steel; many had rusted and much of the marble had discolored and spalled. The façade would have had to be replaced at great expense, still with no idea of how the building could be saved.

And:

Even with the building’s flaws, however, criticism of the structure has been alarmingly out of proportion and flagrantly out of control. The unreasoning rejection of the solution carried over into a reluctance, or inability, to see anything good about the result. This is a thoughtful and skillful, if imperfect conversion, with the enormous added value of an inviting new cultural facility as part of the handsomely upgraded landscaping and glossily rebuilt commercial mix of a reborn Columbus Circle.

In her review of the Museum’s exhibitions, Dominique Browning identifies a few areas that we could improve, but her tone is largely positive:

At heart, this exuberant museum is lots of fun, and perhaps that is more engaging than dignity. You can amuse yourself with the metaphysics of art and design; you can wonder at the transmogrification of pins into pyramids; or you can buy a brooch for your next evening out. Take your pick.

Both reviews reveal some rough spots in our building, layout, and exhibitions, but I think both fairly represent the Museum. These articles are really a great bit of validation of the work that we at the museum have put into making our new home a worthy representation of the museum’s mission.

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