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September 2014 Previous Issues

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Featured Stories

 

Museum for Human Rights made from a meeting of minds

Toronto’s renowned museum consultant Gail Lord joined forces with fundraiser Gail Asper to help make Canada’s new national museum a reality.

The Star, 19 September 2014

 

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA — "Fourteen years ago, Gail Dexter Lord was sitting in her Toronto office when she got a surprising phone call. On the line was Izzy Asper, Winnipeg’s famous political veteran and media tycoon. He could hardly believe what he had been told, that the world’s top museum planner was this visionary woman in Toronto. Asper was in the early stages of creating a new museum [the Canadian Museum for Human Rights] and he had been seeking advice from Ralph Appelbaum, the New York designer who had done the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C."

[see also: Winnipeg has the right to celebrate, The Star, 18 September 2014 and

Watch the Opening Ceremonies Live! Youtube.com, 19 September 2014]

 

Lord Cultural Resources is deeply honoured to be working with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights since 2000. Lord Cultural Resources team helped The Asper Foundation to develop the concept and to craft the three-volume Master Plan and business plan. We provided the space program and assisted with the international architectural competition. In 2009-10, Lord Cultural Resources organized and facilitated the cross Canada consultation process that gathered human rights stories from thousands of Canadians in 19 cities. We have continued to provide advisory services to Board and senior management on all aspects of implementation, content and the inauguration.

 

Fort York visitor centre a welcome addition to Toronto’s heritage

The Star, 12 September 2014

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO — "What does a city do when its most important historical site is a hole in the ground? In the case of Toronto’s Fort York National Historic Site, the answer comes in the form of a new visitor centre that makes up in elegance what the place itself lacks in presence. The facility, which opens Sept. 20, will also provide a setting in which the garrison’s story can be told and put in context, something that disappeared eons ago. Designed by Vancouver’s Patkau Architects and by Kearns Mancini Architects of Toronto, the visitor centre is the best thing ever to happen to this long-neglected bastion. Perhaps because so few Torontonians have a clue that American troops invaded here in 1813, the fort tends to be overlooked, as does the War of 1812, though it could have led to a U.S. takeover of Upper Canada."

[see also Fort York Visitor Centre by Patkau Architects & Kearns Mancini Architects opens to the public this weekend, Canadian Architect, 7 September 2014]

 

Lord Cultural Resources was commissioned to develop a Facilities Plan to serve as the foundation for the design and construction of the Fort York Visitor Centre. Lord Cultural Resources also consulted with the Director of the Fort York National Historic Site to complete a Business Plan. Fort York Visitor Centre will be hosting Magna Carta exhibition designed and developed by Lord Cultural Resources in the fall of 2015.

 


Cultural News, a monthly global round-up of what’s happening in culture, is a free service of Lord Cultural Resources. Excerpts are directly quoted from the articles – please click on the links to read the full articles on the original news sites. To receive it in your inbox rain or shine, please press the subscribe button above - it will take less than 30 seconds to become a subscriber. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest digest of cultural news.

 


Our Clients and Lord Cultural Resources in the News

 

New Dawn centre taking shape

Cape Breton Post, 29 September 2014

 

SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA — "A little more than a year ago, as the first official occupant of the building, Sydney businessman Darcy Campbell roamed the halls of the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation alone. Today, he's surrounded by fellow business owners, community groups and service-based organizations — approximately 15 in total. Together they've filled the former Holy Angels High School portion of the site. Campbell moved his business, Shot on Site Media, into the building last June and quickly recruited a few like-minded businesses to set up at the site, including Scott Moore Photo and Video. The two recently merged forces to create a new company, NovaStream.

"That (company) kinda organically grew here, which is cool," he said.

Campbell said the centre is an inspiring place to do business. "

 

Lord Cultural Resources completed an Adaptive Reuse Feasibility Study for the Holy Angels High School.

 

Rooms to host bonanza fossil find from Port Union

25 September 2014, CBC News

 

ST JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND — "A museum in St. John's will soon be hosting one of the most significant fossil discoveries made anywhere in the world. An impression left by a small creature, fossilized in rock, dates back about 560 million years, astonishing scientific circles with the earliest evidence of animal muscle tissue on the planet.  The fossil was first discovered six years ago in an ancient rock bed near Port Union, on Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula, but was not disclosed until this summer."

 

Having provided the initial development and facilities program for The Rooms, Lord Cultural Resources was also selected as planning and design consultants for the Museum’s permanent exhibition galleries.

 

Jean Nouvel Releases Official Design for National Art Museum of China

Arch Daily, 18 September 2014

 

BEIJING, CHINA — "Jean Nouvel has unveiled the official design for the National Art Museum of China(NAMOC). Originally inspired by the simplicity of “a single brush stroke,” the 21st century art and calligraphy museum will become the centerpiece of a new cultural district at Olympic Park, rising next to the historic axis of Beijing and symbolically connecting to the Forbidden City. Self-proclaimed to be one of the “greatest museums of the world,” the NAMOC will contain collections dating back to the Ming Era. Featured programs will include permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a research and education center, auditorium, large-scale interior garden and a series of public spaces."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was commissioned to review the Design Concept and to recommend a Facility Strategy for the Museum expansion. Subsequently, we provided an Architectural Competition that included a Facility Strategy for the New NAMOC Building.

 

Architects' bid to save QPAC from 30-storey towers

Brisbane Times, 16 September 2014

 

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA — "Queensland architects want the Queensland Cultural Precinct at South Bank to be heritage-listed before the state government pushes ahead with plans to build two 30-storey towers on the landmark site. The state government's draft master plan for the cultural precinct, which was released in May, includes plans for two 30-storey towers. The plan proposes a five-star hotel be built over the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and a second tower near the Queensland Museum.

The Queensland arm of the Australian Institute of Architects has voiced its frustration at the proposed changes, which it has said oppose the vision of architect Rob Gibson, who designed all the Queensland Cultural Centre buildings in the mid to late 1970s."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was part of a Cultural Precinct Master Plan team led by the urban planning firm Urbis and an Australian architects Cox Rayner to provide the future of the Centre.

 

The Lynch Foundation pledges $5 million to Peabody Essex Museum

Boston Business Journal, 11 September 2014

 

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS — "The family foundation of former Fidelity Magellan Fund manager Peter Lynch has committed $5 million to create an endowment for the Peabody Essex Museum's changing exhibition program. Carolyn Lynch, Peter's wife, is the president and chairwoman of The Lynch Foundation, according to its website. Peter S. Lynch is the foundation's treasurer, the website says. The Lynch Foundation's donation will help the museum get its exhibits on tour nationally and internationally, Peabody Essex Museum said. The museum's exhibitions already have been shown at 16 museums nationwide and in other countries, the museum said."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was selected to help update the Strategic Plan for the Peabody Essex Museum in preparation for the expansion. We also prepared a market analysis in support of the museum’s strategic goals.

 

Draft plan for Buffalo’s Outer Harbor unveiled

WIVB4.com, 9 September 2014

 

BUFFALO, NEW YORK — "After receiving input from the public, the draft plan for Buffalo’s Outer Harbor is ready. Perkins+Will, a design firm hired by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, incorporated feedback from the public into a blueprint for the 350-acres along the city’s waterfront. The draft plan was presented Tuesday night at WNED Studios in downtown Buffalo. The design firm gave a number of reasons why it feels strongly its preferred plan is the best option for the Outer Harbor."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was selected to lead a team of planners to develop Master Plan for Buffalo Canal Side. Lord Cultural Resources was responsible for market and comparables analyses, development of a governance, staffing and operations plan, identification of target markets and strategies to attract them and to maximize revenues and control costs. We also prepared attendance, operating revenue and expense projections and an implementation plan.

 

Cleveland Museum of Art announces a $10 million anonymous donation that brings it closer to finishing a $320 million campaign

Cleveland.com, 9 September 2014

 

CLEVELAND, OHIO — The Cleveland Museum of Art announced Tuesday that it has received a $10 million anonymous gift that could propel it toward completion of the $320 million capital campaign to pay for its newly completed expansion and renovation.

‘It feels terrific,’ museum director William Griswold said about the gift, which came just three weeks after he took over his new post, following six years in which he led the Morgan Library & Museum in New York."

 

The Cleveland Museum of Art engaged Lord Cultural Resources to facilitate a yearlong Strategic Planning process and later. We were subsequently invited back to facilitate the Strategic Plan Update.

 

Asia proves a lucrative destination for France's museums

The Art Newspaper, 9 September 2014

 

ASIA — "Asia is a prime market for Western museums keen to tap into new audiences and growing economies. 'Business is brisk because these Asian venues are willing to pay well for major exhibitions,' says Barry Lord, the co-president of Lord Cultural Resources. In 2012, Paris’s Centre Pompidou opened a Surrealist art show, 'Electric Fields', at the Shanghai Power Station of Art; Alain Seban, the president of the Centre Pompidou, acknowledged that his Beaubourg gallery received 'substantial fees' for the loan show. A gallery spokeswoman declined to give details of further international exhibitions."

 

Louvre director plans its grand revamp

The Art Newspaper, 4 September 2014

 

PARIS, FRANCE — "Jean-Luc Martinez, who was promoted to the directorship of the Musée du Louvre last year, is proposing the most ambitious renovation of the Paris museum since the Grand Louvre project of the 1980s. Martinez plans to start with the great paintings galleries in the Richelieu wing, which will be rehung, relit and relabelled. The project will begin with the museum’s rooms of 17th-century French paintings, followed by the Dutch and Flemish galleries. This phase will take two years, starting next year, he tells The Art Newspaper."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was part of the team of the French firm Pro-Développement planning the Louvre’s new Islamic Gallery in the Court Visconti in the Denon wing of the historic Louvre Palace building. Lord Cultural Resources was contracted to develop the exhibition content together with the curators of le Musée du Louvre in order to enhance the presentation of the Islamic Art. Lord Cultural Resources and Pro-Développement also organized the international architecture competition for the new contemporary building of le Musée du Louvre.

 

Lordculture, the European office of Lord Cultural Resources, was commissioned by the Région Nord-Pas de Calais to work with regional authorities and the Louvre to provide functional and museological planning for the Louvre branch in Lens. Lordculture also provided advice on the technical commission for architect selection, which was won by Tokyo-based firm Sanaa, and advised on capital cost projections.

 

Lord Cultural Resources has also produced a Concept Plan for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and worked with leading French architect Jean Nouvel who has designed that museum.

 

Six Secretaries of State Celebrate Groundbreaking of U.S. Diplomacy Center

DIPNOTE, 3 September 2014

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — "It is not every day that six Secretaries of State – five former and one current -- jointly attend an event, but that is exactly what happened at the State Department today.  In honor of the groundbreaking of the U.S. Diplomacy Center (USDC), Secretary Kerry hosted former Secretaries Kissinger, Baker, Albright, Powell and Clinton for a reception and ceremony at the site of the Center. The U.S. Diplomacy Center will be a museum and educational center dedicated to telling the story of American diplomacy through interactive exhibits and educational programs.  The Center looks to promote greater understanding of U.S. diplomacy -- how it has shaped our nation’s history, how it functions, and how it affects U.S. citizens."

 

Lord Cultural Resources was engaged to make recommendations for the institutional identity, visitor experience and direction of the U.S. Diplomacy Center.

 

Blanton Museum of Art Receives Latin American Artworks

Philanthropy News Digest, 3 September 2014

 

AUSTIN, TEXAS— "The University of Texas, Austin has announced a gift of modern and contemporary Latin American art from alumni Judy and Charles Tate to the Blanton Museum of Art.

Spanning the early twentieth century to the present, the collection of a hundred and twenty works features many of the leading figures of Latin American modernism, including Tarsila do Amaral, Lygia Clark, Frida Kahlo, Carlos Mérida, Wifredo Lam, and Joaquín Torres-García. The collection, which includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, and mixed media, is valued at $10 million. The gift also includes a financial contribution to the museum’s endowment in support of a Latin American curatorship."

 

Lord Cultural Resources conducted a Brand and Positioning Market Study, Program Strategy for the Blanton Museum of Art.

 

Back to Top

 


Museums

 

The Folk Art Museum Is Being Reduce to Rubble Right Now

NY Curbed, 26 September 2014

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — "The first stages of demolition began at the American Folk Art Museum this spring, but now shit is getting real. New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz tweeted a photo of demolition at 3:43 this afternoon, so we checked it out, and the Tod Williams Billie Tsie Architects-designed building is indeed being eaten by a backhoe to makeway for the Museum of Modern Art's expansion. The iconic bronze facade was previously dismantled and stored safely away; hopefully at some point in the future, it will be publicly displayed. Have more photos? Please do send them to the tipline. "

 

Llys Rhosyr medieval court to be rebuilt at St Fagans

BBC News, 25 September 2014

 

CARDIFF, WALES — "Work to reconstruct one of the medieval courts of the Princes of Gwynedd has begun at St Fagans National History Museum, near Cardiff. Rebuilding the great hall from Llys Rhosyr on Anglesey will be one of the most challenging archaeological projects in Wales, said the museum. It will see the building's nine-metre high (29.5 ft) stone walls and thatched roof rebuilt. It is part of wider renovations of St Fagans. Once complete, schools and groups will be able to stay overnight."

 

London Science Museum plans mathematics gallery for 2016

Opodo, 25 September 2014

 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — "A fresh gallery about mathematics is set to appear at London's Science Museum and will be designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. David and Claudia Harding have given the museum £5 million - a bigger individual donation than it has ever seen before - to make the project possible. The space is set to look at various aspects of maths between the 17th century and today, and will be called The David and Claudia Harding Mathematics Gallery. It's set to open its doors to visitors for the first time in 2016."

 

Berlin’s Pergamon Museum to undergo renovation work

EuroNews, 24 September 2014

 

BERLIN, GERMANY — "People are heading in droves to Berlin’s Pergamon Museum before the attraction undergoes two-years of renovation work. The museum is one of Berlin’s biggest draws and the Pergamon Alter, dating from the 2nd century BC, is a firm favourite. The partial closure begins on September 29."

 

Sweetwater WASP Museum expansion approved

KTXS12, 23 September 2014

 

SWEETWATER, TEXAS — "The National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater is expanding in a big way after city commissioners approved a multi-million dollar expansion project Tuesday.

WASP stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots. The museum was built in 1929 and was originally the home of the Sweetwater Airport. The museum's mission statement is 'seeking to educate and inform all generations with the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots - the first women to America's military aircraft - who forever changed the role of women in aviation.'"

 

Museum wins award for rescue and restoration of historic Allen engine

Bedford Today, 21 September 2014

 

HEREFORD, UNITED KINGDOM — " A museum has won a prestigious award for the rescue and restoration of an historic steam engine built by the former WH Allen engineering company of Bedford.

Three years ago the single-cylinder Allen engine was discovered lying derelict in a farmer’s field in Upton Bishop near Ross-on-Wye. It was taken to The Waterworks Museum in Hereford it was stripped down, rebuilt and restored to working order."

 

Hudson Motor Car museum opens Sunday in Ypsilanti

Idaho Statesman, 21 September 2014

 

YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN — "It was a big weekend for cars in Ypsilanti. The southeastern Michigan community played host Sunday to both the public opening of the National Hudson Motor Car Company Museum and an annual orphan car show.

The Hudson museum is sharing space with the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum in the city's Depot Town section. The Automotive Heritage Museum's 18th annual Orphan Car Show was held at nearby Riverside Park. It's dedicated to cars whose makers went out of business, including Plymouths and Oldsmobiles."

 

Frick museum gets $3 million state grant

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 20 September 2014

 

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA — " The Frick Pittsburgh has received a $3 million state grant to remodel and expand a building that houses its car and carriage museum. 

Construction began last month in Point Breeze on a 7,500-square-foot education and community center. When construction is finished in 2016, the building will house three classrooms, education offices, a 1,200-square-foot community center and a prep kitchen. The 8,000-square-foot car and carriage museum will be reconfigured.”

 

UK to fund friendship-building museum exchange with China

Leisure Opportunities, 18 September 2014

 

UNITED KINGDOM — "A £300,000 (US$490,000, €378,000) pot is being made available by the UK government to fund museum exchanges between China and Great Britain. The move is aimed at developing the cultural relationship between the two nations.

The money is part of a bigger package of almost £2m (US$3.3m, €2.5m) to be allocated to the translation of the entire works of William Shakespeare into Mandarin Chinese and a small number of seminal Chinese plays into English. That fund will also pay for the Royal Shakespeare Company – which is charged with the translation project – to tour China in 2016.”

 

Tenement Museum keeps memories alive

Crain's New York Business, 18 September 2014

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — "Like many other immigrants, Adolpho and Rosaria Baldizzi struggled to keep their family together in the face of immigration laws tearing them apart. Policies put into place soon after Mr. Baldizzi arrived in the country made it illegal for his wife to follow him. Eventually, she did enter the U.S., though it's impossible to say how she managed it. The couple have passed away.

Yet the story of the Italian immigrants is very much alive as part of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Visitors can tour their apartment at 97 Orchard St., see their photographs, and hear their daughter recount via a recording what living in the tiny home in a tenement was like in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Baldizzis' tale and those of other immigrants told at the museum are clearly resonating.

 

U.S. Marshals Museum receives $5 million anonymous gift

The City Wire, 18 September 2014

 

FORTH SMITH, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES — "Just days before a scheduled groundbreaking on the riverfront near downtown Fort Smith, the U.S. Marshals Museum announced Thursday (Sept. 18) a pledge of $5 million from an anonymous donor.

According to a press release from the museum, the gift is scheduled for payout before the end of 2016.

‘We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for this $5 million gift,” said Jim Dunn, president and CEO of the museum. “It represents the largest pledge we’ve received to date, and it provides us a great deal of momentum in our fundraising efforts.’”

 

Birmingham coffin factory to become museum

BBC News, 16 September 2014

 

BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM — "A Victorian coffin factory site in Birmingham is to become a museum next month. The Newman Brothers factory made fittings for the caskets of Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. Fifteen years after the factory closed, the museum will open on 28 October."

 

Ethiopia: First Ethiopian Science Museum Opens in Addis

AllAfrica, 16 September 2014

 

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — "The first Science Museum of Ethiopia, which is said to help promoting science and research in the country, has been opened Monday at the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University. The University has established the museum and Engineering and Mathematics Center, in cooperation with Israeli aid agencies based in the US. Minister of Education Shiferaw Shigutie said on the opening ceremony that the museum levels up students understanding for science, and as a result contributes for the industry led economic policy of the nation to be followed in the near future."

 

Obama library finalists: U of Chicago, UIC, Hawaii, Columbia

Chicago Sun-Times, 15 September 2014

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — “The Barack Obama Foundation on Monday announced the finalists for President Barack Obama’s presidential library and museum: the University of Chicago; the University of Illinois at Chicago; Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. The University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago offered the foundation a choice of several sites in their proposals. The foundation on Monday did not pick among the various specific locations they were offered.”

 

First lady helps reopen White House Visitor Center

Yahoo News, 10 September 2014

 

WASHINGTON D.C. — “The desk where President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his "fireside chats." An eagle ornamental feature from the top of the flagpole on the White House roof. A desk with an intercom system that allowed the chief White House usher to contact staff in other parts of the building.

These artifacts and others never before seen by the public will go on display Saturday when the White House Visitor Center reopens following a two-year, $12.6 million renovation paid for with government and private money.”

 

The Aga Khan's New Islamic Treasure Trove

The Wall Street Journal, 4 September 2014

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO — "Plenty of museums around the world collect Islamic art—from ornate Persian carpets to Mughal miniature paintings—but there's never been a museum in North America focused solely on exhibiting these pieces, until now. On Sept. 18, Toronto's Aga Khan Museum will open in a roughly 47,000 square-foot space designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, giving visitors a permanent spot to see one of the top private collections of Islamic art anywhere.”

[see also: Building on faith: Inside Toronto’s new Aga Khan Museum, designed by the world’s leading architects. The Globe and Mail, 1 August 2014, and Ismaili Centre: place of prayer, cradle of friendship. The Globe and Mail, 17 September 2014]

 

Back to Top

 


Architecture

 

Success for the Ordos Museum

World Architecture News, 22 September 2014

 

INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA — "Congratulations to MAD architects on winning the WAN Metal in Architecture Award for their Ordos Museum in Inner Mongolia, China. Six shortlisted entries were discussed and assessed in great detail, and this futuristic design stood out as particularly impressive for its use of metal in architecture, sending the judges in deep discussion. Influenced by Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, the futuristic Ordos Museum of Inner Mongolia was designed to be the irregular nucleus for the new town of Ordos. Its smooth uneven shape makes it appear rock-like in the Gobi desert location and the museum appears to float over a waving sand hill. It was metaphorically designed to ‘protect’ the treasures of the museum from the unknown growth of the new city, as Ordos continued to develop with a strict geometric masterplan."

 

Finnish Guggenheim - officially most popular architectural contest ever

Architects Journal, 17 September 2014

 

HELSINKI, FINLAND — "The international competition to design the new Guggenheim museum in Helsinki has attracted more entries than any other architectural contest in history. Competition organiser Malcolm Reading Consultants confirmed it had received 1,715 anonymous submissions from nearly 80 countries for the €130 million job. The extraordinary interest puts it ahead of the previous title holder, the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza contest, which drew 1557 entries from 82 countries and was eventually won by Heneghan Peng in 2003."

[see also Helsinki v Guggenheim: the backlash against the global megabrand is on, The Guardian, 11 September 2014]

 

Shigeru Ban chosen to design Tainan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan

Leisure Management, 16 September 2014

 

TAINAN, TAIWAN — "The Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban has won an international competition to design and build the new Tainan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan. Pritzker Prize-winner Ban has designed several well known museums, the most recent being the Aspen Art Museum, USA. The Tainan Museum of Fine Arts project aims to promote the development of Taiwan’s emerging cultural significance by recognising its arts and heritage. The new museum will have a particular focus on education, research and understanding.”

[see also: Shigeru Ban takes first place in design competition for Tainan Museum of Fine Arts, World Architecture News, 23 September 2014]

 

Mathematics Gallery at the Science Museum in London to be designed by Zaha Hadid

World Architecture News, 11 September 2014

 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — "Zaha Hadid Architects has been selected as the winner of a design competition for the Science Museum in London made possible by a donation of £5m by philanthropists David and Claudia Harding. This is the largest gift ever made to the Science Museum and will fund a mathematics gallery as part of the wider museum masterplan. The ongoing development will transform approximately 1/3 of the museum over the coming five years.

Science Museum Director, Ian Blatchford said: ‘David and Claudia stand out among philanthropists as dedicated champions of science. We are determined to match their enormous generosity with the ambition we show in harnessing our world-class collections to tell the stories of how mathematicians have helped to shape the world.’”

 

4 Visions Released for D.C.’s First Elevated Park

Arch Daily, 11 September 2014

 

WASHINGTON, MARYLAND — "OMA, Höweler + Yoon, NEXT Architects, and Cooper, Robertson &Partners are amongst four interdisciplinary teams competing to design Washington D.C.’s first elevated public park. As part of a six month nationwide competition, the shortlisted teams have just released their preliminary design proposals for what will be known as the 11th Street Bridge Park.

Suspended over the Anacostia River, the multi-use park aims to re-connect two disparate city districts and re-engage residents with the riverfront by offering a 21st century civic “playscape.” Education and performance spaces, as well as a cafe and water sport areas will all be included in the masterplan."

 

New look for MEG in Geneva

World Architecture News, 11 September 2014

 

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — "Preparations are being made to re-open the Musee d’ethnographie de Geneve (MEG) following a drastic reinvention scheme to the design of Zurich architects Graber Pulver Architekten. Due to open on 31 October 2014, the rejuvenated MEG will present more than 1,000 objects in its permanent exhibition alongside a number of temporary exhibitions highlighting works from its ethnographic collections.

Encased in the shimmering roof structure will be The Helene Lancoux media library. This modern exhibition includes more than 40,000 words dedicated to human culture. Graber Pulver Architekten's design features a glistening metal roof structure with diamond-shaped windows which cast pockets of light onto the exhibition spaces within."

 

Chumash Tribe Hires Architectural Firm To Build Museum In Santa Ynez Valley

KCLU, 9 September 2014

 

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA — "The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has announced a big step in its controversial plans to develop some land across the street from its reservation in the Santa Ynez Valley. Tribal leaders say they’ve hired an award-winning Seattle architectural firm to design a museum, and cultural center on the nearly seven acres of land.

Plans call for a 15,000 square foot museum.

The development plans concerned some nearby residents, because they were worried with the property exempt from Santa Barbara County planning regulations, it would become the site new gaming facilities."

 

Back to Top

 


Technology

 

British Museum to be digitally recreated in Minecraft

BBC News, 23 September 2014

 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — "The British Museum in London - complete with all of its exhibits - is to be recreated in the video game Minecraft. The project is part of the Museum of the Future scheme, which aims to expand the institution's appeal. Many real-life organisations have created maps in the Minecraft universe, including Ordnance Survey and the Danish government, who aim to make young people more aware of their work."

 

Getty Adds Thousands of Art Historical Images to Growing Digital Library

Hyperallergic, 22 September 2014

 

UNITED STATES — "Getting museum and library archives digitized is one thing; uniting them on a platform that’s uniform and accessible is another. Last year the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) launched in order to bring institutions like the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian, and numerous other partners together in a single online space. Last week, the Getty Research Institute  announced  that it was adding metadata for over 100,000 image and text records focused on art history to the DPLA."

 

Frisco pledges $1M to bring video game museum

Chron, 18 September 2014

 

FRISCO, TEXAS — “A community development board in a fast-growing northern Dallas suburb voted Thursday night to approve a $1 million plan to renovate a city museum into the nation's first video game museum. The Frisco Community Development Corp. board voted unanimously to approve a deal with the Videogame History Museum for building renovations and startup costs, The Dallas Morning News (http://bit.ly/YWN2ax) reported. The Videogame History Museum is a nonprofit that collects games, consoles and memorabilia tied to the gaming industry, from Pac-Man to a working prototype of Pong. Most of the collection resides in storage around the country and is often displayed at traveling exhibits and expos. The museum has long sought a permanent location.”

 

The Brave New Digital World

The Wall Street Journal, 16 September 2014

 

WORLD WIDE — "In 1964, Marc Chagall completed a remarkable painting, in Paris's Palais Garnier, depicting scenes from operas by composers ranging from Modest Mussorgsky to Mozart. Unfortunately for art lovers, the painting was difficult to see, installed on the ceiling almost 60 feet above the floor.

But now, thanks to the Internet, anyone anywhere in the world can view the masterpiece in minute detail. Google has digitized Chagall's work, allowing viewers to zoom in on features previously hidden, from the texture of his brush strokes to the swoop of his signature.

From the French base of our Cultural Institute, our engineers have created a platform that allows museums to share collections and show paintings up close to a global audience. Venerable cultural institutions like the Palais Garnier now enjoy exciting new opportunities to expand their influence and impact."

 

'Too fragile' museum collection to go on display digitally>

The Westmorland Gazette, 11 September 2014

 

CUMBRIA, UNITED KINGDOM — "THOUSANDS of items at Kendal Museum that are too fragile to exhibit will now go on display to the public digitally, thanks to a huge funding boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum has been awarded £53,400 for the digitisation of two of its most important collections, geology and herbarium which will be preserved digitally for future generations.

The two year project, starting in October is being led by digital imaging consultant Tony Riley and curator manager Carol Davies.

 

Singapore trials wearable tags following success of Disney's MyMagic

Attractions Management, 5 September 2014

 

SINGAPORE — "The Singapore Tourist Board (STB) is looking at using radio frequency identification technology (RFID) – similar to that launched in Disney theme parks earlier this year – to boost tourism spending and improve the country’s visitor experience.

Inspired by the success of the MyMagic+ wristbands at Disney World in Florida, the STB hopes the technology will be able to look at consumer behavioural insights and make the visitor experience smoother and more enjoyable."

 

Interview: Moment Factory

World Architecture News, 8 September 2014

 

NORTH AMERICA — "Based in Montreal and Los Angeles, Moment Factory is a diverse young practice which cultivates immersive and interactive experiences within the public realm. From illuminated forest walks to digital installations within LAX, the team looks at multimedia as a holistic experience and blends technology, storytelling, graphics, video, and interactivity to bring people together in an increasingly digitalised world. WAN spoke with Sakchin Bessette, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Moment Factory to find out what differentiates this talented team from their competitors"

 

Bloomberg Philanthropies Gives Museums $17 million Push Toward Digital

The Wall Street Journal, 8 September 2014

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — "Bloomberg Philanthropies is set to announce on Tuesday that it is expanding its grant funding for cultural institutions' digital projects, with $17 million for museums in New York and around the world.

At the Brooklyn Museum, staffers stationed at a hub will use an app to field questions in real time as visitors move through the galleries. At the American Museum of Natural History, a new app will offer a glimpse of the science happening behind the scenes. And at the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, a digital pen will allow visitors to save information on their favorite objects in the collection, and create their own designs."

 

Philips Finds Potential Li-Fi Applications in New Museum Survey

LED eXchange, 8 August 2014

 

LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS — " Landmark pilot for connected lighting mobile apps in Dutch museum could provide template for museums, hospitals and supermarkets of the future

Royal Philips, the global leader in lighting, announced new findings from a visitor survey conducted in partnership with the national museum for science and medicine in The Netherlands, the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden. The survey reveals that seven out of ten people prefer to receive information on their mobile devices tailored to their location when visiting a museum or exhibition."

 

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Art and Culture

 

Franklin wreck found in Arctic identified as captain’s ship

The Globe and Mail, 1 October 2014

 

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — "Canada has determined the historic Franklin Expedition shipwreck discovered in the Arctic last month is in fact HMS Erebus, the vessel on which Sir John Franklin sailed. It’s another puzzle solved in the enthralling story of the famous British expedition that tried to traverse the Northwest Passage but ended in misery with all 129 crew members perishing. The Erebus was the vessel that Franklin occupied as the commander of the expedition and was the base for the captain’s quarters. Stephen Harper, whose government had backed annual searches for the lost Franklin expedition as a demonstration of Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic, announced the news of the ship’s identification Wednesday in the House of Commons."

[see also Lost Franklin expedition ship found in the Arctic, CBC News, 9 September 2014]

 

ELEVATE Invites Public To Explore A Social City With Arts Events From Oct 17-23

Hatchett PR

 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — " 'This year’s ELEVATE contemporary art happenings in downtown Atlanta will be playful and interactive,” states Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Our theme is ‘Social City’ and, with the help of more than 100 artists, we are creating an environment ripe for exploration, discovery and conversation. You’ll have a chance to engage with living sculptures, interactive gadgetry, artist panels, portable art and dance performances, and quite a few surprises. We’re throwing a huge art and music block party on Friday, October 17 and presenting events and exhibits daily all over downtown through Thursday, October 23. All events are free and open to the public. Come get social with us!' "

 

South Korea welcomes new Arario Museum in Space attraction 

Leisure Management, 24 September 2014

 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — " South Korean capital Seoul has become home to a new progressive art museum following the opening of the Arario Museum in Space attraction, located inside the city’s famed Space building overlooking Changgyeong Palace.

The Space site was originally designed by pioneering South Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun and was previously home to the architect’s Space Group firm. 
The launch of the new museum comes as art collector and founder of Arario galleries Kim Chang-il bought the site for US$14.6m (€11.4m, £8.9m), after it was put up for sale by the firm."

 

National Gallery of Australia launches NGA Contemporary art space

Leisure Management, 19 September 2014

 

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — "The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is about to open a new space which, for the first time in the gallery’s history, will be devoted to contemporary Australian art.

The gallery space, separate from the main facility and to be known as the NGA Contemporary, will sit lakeside on Parkes Place and replaces the Gallery of Australian Design, which has been relocated.

The new space opens at the end of this month with a survey of 21st century Australian art in a range of media from the gallery's own collection, including sculpture, painting, video and photography.

 

An independent Scotland could lose some of its greatest Old Masters

The Art Newspaper, 11 September 2014

 

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — “The long-term loan of important Old Master paintings to the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh could be threatened if Scotland votes “yes” to independence next week. A poll by YouGov published at the weekend showed the "yes" side narrowly leading for the first time. In February we reported that sources with close connections to Scottish institutions and collectors say there is a growing possibility that leading lenders will sell their works or move them south if, as is suspected, an independent Scotland’s tax regime changes to target the rich.”

 

Portland Museum of Art purchases land to preserve Homer’s view of the sea

Portland Press Herald, 8 September 2014

 

PORTLAND, OREGON — "The Portland Museum of Art has purchased the land around the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck in Scarborough and placed it in a conservation easement, protecting the famed painter’s view from development. Since the museum restored the studio and opened it to public tours in 2012, it has been negotiating the purchase of a horseshoe-shaped parcel that begins at the gravel road that abuts the studio, surrounds it on either side and extends to a hedgerow in front of the publicly owned Cliff Walk at the rocks near the ocean. The 0.57-acre parcel was owned by the estate of Doris Homer, who was married to the artist’s nephew. She died in 2009."

 

Garage saves history of art underground

The Art Newspaper, 3 September 2014

 

MOSCOW, RUSSIA — "The first public library in Russia devoted to contemporary art, including the unofficial art of the Soviet era, is due to open at the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow in December. The collection will give scholars and students access to a history that has remained hidden for decades. The library’s 10,000 volumes range from rare books on the Russian avant-garde to every Documenta catalogue and issue of October magazine. The goal is to provide an uncensored resource on the development of contemporary art. “[Russian] students don’t have access to this information—they’ve been working not with a history, but with legends,” says Sasha Obukhova, the head of research at the Garage."

 

Wallace Collection reopens gallery with transformed old master display

The Guardian, 3 September 2014

 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — " The Laughing Cavalier, with his arrogant swagger, never particularly enjoyed looking over at the more downbeat and severe Lady with a Fan every day, joked Christoph Vogtherr, and the feeling was probably mutual. "They didn't like each other a lot ... they are rather different in personality."

Now two of the greatest masterpieces of 17th-century portraiture, one by Frans Hals, the other by Diego Velázquez, may never have to lay eyes on each other again, hanging on the same wall when the Wallace Collection in London reopens its magnificent Great Gallery after a two-year refurbishment."

[see also: The Wallace Collection Stuffed full. The Economist, 20 September 2014, and Glass ceiling at The Wallace Collection sheds light on artworks. BBC News, 19 September 2014]

 

UK funding bodies launch public appeal to save Wedgwood Museum

The Art Newspaper, 1 September 2014

 

BARLASTON, UNITED KINGDOM — "The UK’s Art Fund is campaigning to raise £15.75m to save the Wedgwood Museum’s collection from being auctioned at Christie’s and dispersed. The museum, which remains open, houses more than 80,000 works of art and ceramics, including paintings by Stubbs and Reynolds, with some objects dating back to the founding of the pottery firm in 1759. Most of the money has been raised, but there is still £2.74m to go in a public fundraising appeal that ends on 30 November.

In an unprecedented crisis, the Staffordshire-based Wedgwood Museum Trust, which owns the collection, is facing a claim over a £134m pension debt, incurred when the UK subsidiary of the Waterford Wedgwood company fell deeply in debt five years ago. Waterford Wedgwood was then put into administration. The company and museum were linked through a shared pension scheme: the museum had only five pensioners, but it ended up being financially responsible for 8,000 company pensioners."

 

Birthplace of Hitler to be turned into 'House of Responsibility' museum

Leisure Management, 1 September 2014

 

BRAUNAU, AUSTRIA — "A long-running debate about what to do with the birthplace of Adolf Hitler looks to be settled, with Austrian authorities poised to turn the controversial property into a “House of Responsibility” museum, which will look at the Nazi leader’s crimes. The €2.2m (US$2.9m, £1.7m) town-house and former pub located in Salzburger Vorstadt, the Führer's birthplace Braunau has previously served as a bank, workshop, library, school and home for the disabled.”

 

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Creative Economies, Creative Cities, Innovation and Urban Planning, Cultural Tourism

 

Final stretch of New York's High Line opens

Reading Eagle, 28 September 2014

 

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK — “The last stretch of New York's High Line opened last Sunday, completing one of the nation's most distinctive urban transformations: abandoned elevated rails that have been turned into a linear oasis of flowers, grasses and trees. That last, half-mile section finishes the 22-block walkway that over five years has helped drive the hip gentrification of the Chelsea neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. Luxury condos, galleries, restaurants and boutiques have all but pushed out the industrial grime around the old freight route that once delivered goods to warehouses and meatpacking and manufacturing plants.”

 

Forgotten underground stations to become NIGHTCLUBS, museums and hotels in £3billion deal

Express, 23 September 2014

 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — " Unloved for decades they could soon be transformed into hotels, nightclubs and tourist attractions in a renovation worth BILLIONS. Transport for London (TFL) – which owns 750 deserted stations and 'ghost' tunnels – are preparing to offer deals to private companies within the next month. The multi-billion-pound investment could see the spooky, sealed-off stations transformed into a range of commercial sites including art galleries, museums and shopping malls. Quietly hidden deep beneath London, many of the deserted stations and horse tunnels became shelters during the Blitz, used to house migrant workers and protect priceless artworks."

 

Minister Donohoe to open new Experience Gaelic Games visitor centre

Fine Gael, 18 September 2014

 

DUBLIN, IRELAND — " Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, will tomorrow (Friday) open a new visitor centre aimed at promoting Irish sports to overseas visitors. The Experience Gaelic Games centre is situated at Na Fianna GAA club in Glasnevin and is the first centre of its kind in Ireland.
Experience Gaelic Games, is a tourist initiative which has been running for the last number of years, the aim of which is to provide visitors with an opportunity to visit local GAA clubs and learn about our indigenous games through a range of interactive activities. Ranked as the number one thing to do in Dublin by Trip Advisor, Experience Gaelic Games offers visitors an insight into our cultural and sporting traditions in a fun and interactive environment. The centre has been designed by RTE’s celebrity Architect, Dermot Bannon, and will provide a year-round space for those interested in learning about Gaelic games."

 

Santa Claus is coming to China in form of theme park

Leisure Management, 18 September 2014

 

CHANGDI, CHINA — "A new Christmas-themed attraction is now under development in the Chinese city of Changdi in the form of SantaPark – the “official” home of Lapland’s own Santa Claus.

The company behind the project, SantaPark, has teamed up with Finnish attraction specialist Lappset Group, in addition to a local developer, to create the 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) indoor attraction, which is to be based on the original SantaPark in Finland.

Set to open six-months away from Christmas in June 2016, the indoor attraction will be linked with Chengdu Floraland theme park, while there are plans to launch “another five or six” Christmas parks in China, should the inaugural SantaPark prove to be a hit. “

 

Orcas to be centrepoint of new aquarium at VDNKh in Moscow

Leisure Management, 12 September 2014

 

MOSCOW, RUSSIA — "A new aquarium is being set up at Moscow’s VDNKh exhibition centre as part of a large-scale redevelopment and will include orcas, despite ongoing controversy about keeping cetaceans in captivity. The VDNKh – a relic of the Soviet era which is part way through its €1.5bn (US$1.9bn, £1.2bn) revamp as modern Russia seeks to glorify the past under President Vladimir Putin – announced plans for the 40,000sq m (430,000sq ft) aquarium, which will feature a variety of rare marine life, the orcas being the main attraction."

 

Park District Seeking Public Input On Future Of Museum Campus

CBS Chicago, 10 September 2014

 

CHICAGO, ILLINIOS  "The Chicago Park District has asked one of the designers of the proposed Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to help with discussions about a long-term vision for the entire lakefront Museum Campus where it is planned to be built. WBBM Newsradio’s Nancy Harty reports Chicago architect Daniel Burnham – author of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, which laid the groundwork for the city’s layout – famously said 'make no little plans,' but said nothing about how many plans to make."

 

A new authority to develop and restore historic Cairo

ahramonline, 9 September 2014

 

CAIRO, EYGPT "Today, the Ministry of Antiquities established an independent authority to review the current condition of historic Cairo and provide a means of cooperation between the ministry and the authority's members to develop the city and return it to its original allure.

The authority includes representatives of four ministries:  Antiquities, Tourism, Endowments and Construction as well as the Cairo governorate."

 

VisitBritain report explores ways to promote UK's £7bn culture and heritage economy

Leisure Opportunities, 9 September 2014

 

UNITED KINGDOM — "VisitBritain has released new research looking at how the tourism industry can make the most out of the UK's £7bn culture and heritage sector to attract overseas tourists.

The ‘Leveraging our Heritage and Culture’ report, the result of a partnership between Britain’s tourism body and the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), has set out to define how the sector can evolve its marketing to encourage visits, both from first-timers and returning tourists.

Having surveyed Britain’s largest tourism source markets – the USA, Germany and France – it was found that the UK already performs well on tangible and rational heritage and that 53 per cent of respondents see culture and heritage as their main motive for visiting Britain."

 

Egypt turns to UNESCO for help protecting heritage and museums

Leisure Management, 8 September 2014

 

EYGPT — "Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab on Saturday (6 September) requested support from UNESCO in a bid to help preserve the nation’s heritage and strengthen and develop its museum culture. In light of reports of the ongoing looting and destruction of Egypt’s historic sites, Mahlab’s request will be welcomed as a signal of his commitment to dealing with the problems endangering Egypt’s rich and important heritage. The Egyptian prime minister made the plea during a UNESCO delegation visit to the country this weekend.”

 

The Gordon Square Arts District finishes its $30 million capital campaign - and launches a new master plan

Cleveland.com, 3 September 2014

 

CLEVELAND, OHIO — “The Gordon Square Arts District – an economic development project that has turned the heart of Detroit-Shoreway into a burgeoning cultural node on the city's West Side – has finished a six-year, $30 million capital campaign launched during the 2008-09 recession.

The arts district announced on Tuesday that the completion of the campaign coincides with the launch of a new master planning process to continue the neighborhood's momentum.”

 

Macedonia searches for national identity as capital undergoes controversial €500m cultural revamp

Leisure Management, 1 September 2014

 

SKOPJE, MACEDONIA — "Macedonia’s capital of Skopje is undergoing a major revamp, but some are calling the controversial makeover – intended to attract more tourists to the country – a “crime” against heritage and culture. Skopje, which became the capital of Macedonia in 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia, is trying to make a name for itself on the international stage, using eye-catching architecture to entice visitors from abroad. The €500m (US$656m, £395m) Skopje 2014 project is financed by the Macedonian government, so the main ideology being decided by the ruling party – VRMO-DPMNE – with the project aiming to give the city a more “classic” appeal by the end of 2014.”

 

Experts seek to save Haiti's archaeological sites

Yahoo News, 31 August 2014

 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI —“The canons have been stolen from the 18th-century seaside fort in the city where Haiti declared its independence and the stones imported from France are commonly targeted by thieves. But Haitian authorities and international experts hope to reverse the loss of such cultural heritage from the ruins of Fort Liberte and elsewhere, which they blame on lax supervision and weak laws to prosecute those pillaging Haiti's historic sites.

‘They are very significant sites. It tells a very deep history not only of Haiti but the entire Caribbean,’ said Dan Rogers, an archaeology curator with the Smithsonian Institution who spoke Sunday by phone as he traveled to Fort Liberte.”

 

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