University Circle - Cleveland Museum of Art

Project: Renovation and expansion, creating a looped floor plan for easier navigation through collection, w/ increased gallery and public space.
Estimated Cost: ~ $260 Million
Estimated Completion Date: 2011

The main focus of growth in Cleveland is the University Circle/Cleveland Clinic area with a number of cultural, commercial and residential projects in various stages of completion. The Musuem of Art (CMA) has been a feather in Cleveland's cap for many years. No, it does not have a focused or general collection on par with the major European galleries, or the Met in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the National Gallery in Dc. It does have a notable second tier collection, however. Perhaps the highlight being a recent addition of Apollo Sauroktonos, a lifesize bronze sculpture by Praxiteles (likely). If you're unfamiliar with the name, he is one of the greatest names in classical composition. Some of the most famous sculptures in the Vatican collection, or London's National Gallery are Roman copies of his work. A potential original such as this is an extremely rare find anywhere, and especially for a smaller museum such as CMA. This, other major works (such as Picasso's La Vie), and the single largest endowment of any art museum in the United States (~ $700 Million) certainly give CMA the potential to grow into a world renowned cultural instition.

To this end CMA surged ahead with its expansion plans (despite the loss of its Director and CEO in the midst of the project). The design called for adding additional space on the east side of the complex, creating a loop of galleries around a refurbished, glass-roofed courtyard. The project is intended to significantly increase space, to add a new focus for the entire museum in the courtyard, and to create a more viewer friendly flow to the galleries. Those of us familiar with the old museum will certainly attest that the old layout isolated the main European collection from the public areas. Even worse, the excellent Asian collections seemed almost hidden away in a basement.

While happy that this expansion is taking place and excited about the new courtyard, especially after having seen the extraordinary glassed-in courtyard of the British Museum, I can't help but be let down by the designs released to the public. I had hoped that this preeminant cultural institution of northeast Ohio would take this opportunity to build a landmark. Instead they just seem to be making a nice little musuem. There is little exciting about their design, and my first thought is certainly that this seems to be an opportunity missed. However, and I stress however, it must be noted that this opinion is given before the game is over. Construction is ongoing and the museum is currently closed. There is still hope that I and the rest of Cleveland will see something extraordinary when CMA opens its newly renovated doors to the public in stages over the next few years.

In the end, whether we see a bold architectural achievment, or simply a nice addition, the renovated CMA will contribute to a better Cleveland.

For (much) more information see the Cleveland Museum of Art website.
http://www.clemusart.com/