24 J p i > n g [I 2i ou IIn i I C i I e 1 7

Nolurol light floods a concrete gallery bay in the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, by Tadao Anda and Associates wilh Kendall/Heaton Associates (2002). Floor sculpture: Slil by Carl Andre.

Ando's Modern : Reflections on A r c h i t e c t u r a l Translation

Tadao Ando designed a sublime building for the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. As built, it's merely great.

BY RICHARD R. BRETTELL
 Cite 5 7 2 o o 11 5 p r i n g 25

Tadoo Ando's (ompelilion mode! showed eight lucite lozenges floating on o blue reflective surface. Ando's competition rendering revealed a light filtering roof, intended lo be realized in glass and steel.

The Competition and Ando's Ando's competition model was a

Winning Entry series of eight gorgeous lucite lozenges
In 1996, the architectural review commit- (lour ol which were connected longitudi-
II tee lor the Modern chose sis architects to
compete: two Japanese ("Fadao Ando and
nally in pairs to form six bays), floating
on a blue reflective surface. Its shimmer-
J Arata Iso/aki), one Mexican (Ricardo ing ambiguities ol surface combined with
I 1 cgoretta), and three Americans (Richard us lucid geometry to be utterly com-
pelling, and most viewers of the model
Gluclctnan, Carlos Jimenez, and David
Schwarz). Why llns bouquet? File most attempted to "visualize" it as an actual
unusual aspect of the selection was how building with little success. Ando's basic
relatively non-trendy ir was — no fashion idea was a museum of parallel two-story

r;_ — _ v—I- • able Europeans, DO chic Americans, no

rried-and-true architects. Indeed, among
concrete galleries. 24 feet wide and 1-44
feet long, each encased in glass (rool
the group ot sis, only two, Isozaki and included) and topped by a horizontal
Legorctta, had internationally recognized "brisc soleil," or sunscreen, to modify the
careers (Ando had not yet buill a major extreme Texas light. The sunscreen itseli
building outside Japan), and all but one <il was not delineated and appeared in dif-
the rest, though potentially exciting, had ferent forms in various drawings. The
reputations as thoughtful architects who ends ot the gallery roots were supported
needed an important building. No Gchry, by Y-shaped columns placed inside the
I loll. I ladid or I ibeskind — or no Pei, glass wall, with vertical members ol con-
Meier, Piano, or Foster — was invited to crete and diagonal members of steel.
compete in Fort Worth. Between these concrete galleries, Ando
Each ol t h e e architects was given a proposed 40 foot wide bays given archi-
[ompelilion skelch by Tadao Ando. TADAO ANDO'S BUILDING tor t i n Modern Art general building program and informa- tectural form by non-structural \\;ills,
M u s e u m of F o r i W o r t h ( h e n c e f o r t h " t h e tion about the newly acquired site and presumably covered in practical painted
M o d e r n 0 ) opened to unprecedented — asked to submit preliminary plans and a sheetrock. Most of the drawings made in
a l m o s t universal — accolades. T h e r e is model to the Modern. These were care- connection with the competition dealt
n o d o u b t in anyone's m i n d that A n d o ' s fully studied by the museum's committee with the relationship between concrete,

I m M o d e r n is ihe niosi i m p o r t a n t m u s e u m
b u i l d i n g in Texas since R c n z n Piano's
ami submitted to public scrutiny in an
exhibition held in the museum's galleries.
glass, and reflecting warer on the north
and east sides of the l.-plan building. Few
M e n i l C o l l e c t i o n , a n d in the w o r l d since I laving seen this exhibition, read the details of the facade facing the Kimhell
Frank d e h r y ' s G u g g e n h e i m M u s e u m in local criticism. MU\ discussed the competi- were apparent. Ando, unlike his country-
! man Iso/aki, allowed the Modern's build-
B i l b a o . Its seriousness o l purpose, a r c h i - tion with many prominent regional citi-
t e c t u r a l p u r i t y , a n d a m b i t i o n are unques- zens, I can say thai there was a consensus ing to be taller than its distinguished
t i o n a b l e . It yearns, in fact, t o he in the that Ando's design was superior as a neighbor and to face south, rather than
c o m p a n y o f the ur-rmiseums o f art : Sir work of architectural imagination. west toward the Kimhell, effectively
J o h n Soane's D u l w i c h Picture G a l l e r y , Neither the regional/modernist designs ol undercutting a lace-to-face comparison.
Ando's competition site plan. F r i c d c r i c h Schinkel's Aires M u s e u m , Legoretta and Jimenez nor the cerebral The entire effect of the model was of
A d o l p h c v o n Klen/.e's Alte 1'mokotek . minimalism ol Gliicknian struck a chord floating pavilions that were, in them-
L u d w i g M i e s v a n der Robe's N a t i o n a l in Dallas-Fort Worth, and David selves, reflective, and, thus, markedly dif-
G a l l e r y in B e r l i n , a n d L o u i s Kahn's Schwarz "s generic Beaux Arts galleries ferent from Ando's by-now Lumbar archi-
Kimhell Arr Museum. were thought repulsive by almost every- tecture of massive concrete walls inter-
As a m b i t i o u s as Atido' s b u i l d i n g is, one. To me, lso/aki's plan was much secting with the ground and horizontal
it c o u l d have been better. T h i s r e v i ew more compelling than it was considered sheets of water. In the original plans for
w i l l consider A n d o ' s masterpiece in three to be by either museum insiders or the the Modern, the only direct meeting of
ways: I i its p o s i t i o n in the c o m p e t i t i o n public, (lad it been selected and con- concrete and water occurred in the oval
from which it emerged, 2) the translation structed, it would have been more adven- restaurant pavilion, which pushed from a
of the concept to actuality, and <l the turous in museological terms — and more glazed pavilion into the water with a
relationship of the Modern to other decidedly modernist — than Ando's com- Corbusian force. The competition draw
museums ot modern art. pleted building. iligs also suggested that the second-floor
 26 i p i t n o [ 2 0 0 1i I C i I B S 7

LJHB
The enltonce locode, composed of gloss ond oluminum panels. An elevoted stulplme terrace offers a view of Vortex by Richard Serro.

II I
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I I

>l
iris:: IRZITI
hni-rU rHi Wrm rf-Ti ttj^'.'tf
first Hoot plan. 1) Entrance hall. 7) Shop. 3) Auditorium. 4) Cafe. S) Parking. 6) Galleries. 7) Storage. Second-floor plan. I) Offices. 7) Sculpture terrace 3) Classrooms. 4) Galleries.
Bl Loading. 9) Workshop.

galleries w o u l d he lit w i t h n a t u r a l l i g h t i m m e d i a t e l y of the first i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y

u w w II f r o m a b o v e , in the manne r f a m i l i a l t o
students o l B e a u x - A r t s p a i n t i n g galleries.
i m p o r t a n t m u s e u m b u i l d i n g in Texas,
M u s \.\\i der Kobe's a d d i t i o n t o the

i Those o n the l o w e r galleries w o u l d , pre- M u s e u m of Fine A r t s , H o u s t o n . T h e

I s u m a b l y , he a r t i f i c i a l l y lit w i t h n a t u r a l Brown Pavilion placed contemporary art

1 ligh t leakage t h r o u g h d o o r s a n d light

wells a n d f r o m the glazed v i e w i n g p l a t -
in i i i i r s e d . g l a s s - c a l l e d s t r u c t u r i that
appeared t o f l o a t — n o t o n water, but o n
f o r m s in between the concrete gallery a recessed limestone base. A n o t h e r n o d t o

structures a n d the side light reflected o f f f l o u s t o u was the echo of Ken/.o Piano's

the w a t e r t h r o u g h the c u r t a i n w a l l . A n d o b u i l d i n g s f o r the M e n i l C o l l e c t i o n . B u l b

also separated art f r o m life hy c o n f i n i n g these b u i l d i n g s have glass roofs under o r

, .31 the galleries t o l o u r parallel hays, w h i l e o v e r w h i c h Piano p o s i t i o n e d f l o a t i n g sun-

all social , a d m i n i s t r a t i v e , a n d e d u c a t i o n a l screens t o c o n t r o l the intense Texas s u n .

h i m tn m^ were arranged in t w o I. inger A l s o , m the case o f the b u i l d i n g for the

entrance hays, h i fact, the e n t i r e effect of Vlenil ( o l l c i in HI, Piano si p a r a t c d .H I

f r o m lilt m a manner c o m p a r a b l e to that
the b u i l d i n g w a s o f t r a n s p a r e n t metal
of A n d o . A n d o effectively subsumed in a
" r o o t s " f l o a t i n g a hove tuulhori-less w a l l s
single b u i l d i n g the materials a n d architec-
o l glass, t h r o u g h w h i c h one c o u l d S I T the
t u r a l s o l u t i o n s of the very best a r t muse-
Site plan. 1) Fori Worth Museum of Modern At). 2) Kimbell Art Museum. Concrete structures. N o t h i n g like it h a d
u m b u i l d i n g s in Texas.
appeared in A n d o ' s p u b l i s h e d w o r k .
C l e a r l y , the chance t o conceive a large-
scale m u s e u m across f r o m K a h n ' s How Ando's Competition Designs Became
K i m h c l l inspired A n d o t o new heights an Actual Building
o f visual poetry. The day alter T.ulao A t u l o was lured as the
A n d o ' s c o m p e t i t i o n e n t r y t o r the architect for the M o d e r n , the b o a r d o f
M o d e r n was a b u i l d i n g o p p o s i t e in char- trustees hired a p r o m i n e n t project manager
acter f r o m its esteemed neighbor. T h e i n work 'A nil A n d o . I In-- n u n , a n h i t e i I
effect o f the K i m b e l l is o f a s o l i d b u i l d i n g Pen i l . d u . u i l \r< cult, had pi rformed a
w i t h very s m a l l slits f o r l i g h t . A n d o ' s sub- similar f u n c t i o n for the developers of
mission was a c o m p l e t e l y o p e n b u i l d i n g I )all.is's ( rescent C o u r t , designed by
HI metal and glass. In this, i me t h i n k s Johnson/Burgee, and m o r e recently, for
 C i t e < - 1 0 0 1 s p r i n g 27

1
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a n ^^
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Building sections.

Cleveland's Rock and Rol l I [.ill o l l-'amc, Tort Worth — with its major buildings by •The essentially mullion-less curtain walls of The effect of these changes is greater
designed by I . M . Pci. lit each case, Arendt Johnson, Kahn, l'ei, Rudolph, and others the competition drawings (with no horizon- than one might think. A building that
effectively acted as an i n f o r m e d intercessor — came as a surprise to many. The com- tal and very thin vertical members) became was essentially light in character became
a m o n g three forces — the architect, the plex process of transformation was well a standardized wall system with a large heavy, more opaque, and more struc-
client, and the contractor, f o r the M o d e r n , underway when the tornado of 1999 cage ot aluminum mullions, including two tured. A concrete plane replaced open-
the latter, Linbeck Construction of swept through Tort Worth, just missing prominent horizontal mullions, supported work metal for the roof; in the original
I Illusion, was selected early in the process, the Culture District and the building site by coaled I-beams, all of which protrude vision, light would permeate the building
and this decision was one ol the onl\ con- of the Modern, but devastating glass-clad significantly from the plane of the glass — from the top; in the revised version, none
troversies associated with the building. buildings throughout downtown and the both inside and outside. appears to come through. Thin horizontal
Linbeck is a well respected firm tor large- area between downtown and the museum planes ol glass, almost free ol apparent
scale commercial construction, hut the district. Wind destroyed entire sections of •The glass in the curtain walls was signifi- support and with no structural function,
company is not primarily known for its industrial curtain wall, and the storm's cantly reduced on the south and west became a large aluminum-and-coated-
work with major architects. Many devotees proximity to the museum must have been walls facing the Kimhell. A system of alu steel grid, in-filled with glass and alu-
of architecture in Dallas-Fort Worth had chilling to many donors who had already- inn panels replaced the glass. minum panels. "To many viewers, the grid
assumed that the revered local firm made substantial pledges to the completion seems to supporr the cantilevered con-
Thomas S. Byrne, which had built the of Ando's privately financed, glass- •The Y-shaped supports for the roof were crete roof. The concrete Y columns
Kimhell and important Dallas buildings wrapped building. transformed from those described above, became dominating forms in front ol
by Steven I loll, Richard Meier, and What happened as a result of all these located inside the curtain wall, to very glass, rather than the concrete-to-metal,
Antoinc Prcdock, would have received factors is lh.n Ando's design changed in large reinforced concrete elements cast in tree-like supports of a transparent metal
another much deserved job. This did not subtle hut profound ways. A simple list ol two parts and located outside the glass screen. As drawn in the competition
occur, and in conjunction with the appoint- the most notable changes will suffice: wall, hence becoming major elements of designs, the Ys literally represented a tree,
ment of Peter Arendt, the retention ol the building's image. with a cylindrical trunk of concrete, twin
linbeck signaled the Modern's decision to •The floating metal sunscreens over branches ol steel, and leaves of metal
maintain local control of the project the glass roots m the competition •The parking garage beneath the adminis- Moating on a grid. As built, there is a
through Arendt and to insure that it was design became virtually solid planes of tration/education/entrance bays was touch of the Gothic in the angle, and the
COSl effective through Linbeck. concrete with small perforated sections replaced with street-level parking, redesigned elements read almost as but-
Ando's poetry ran the risk of becom- and slits virtually invisible to the viewer. tresses of the tool, which becomes a linn
ing prose as the building went from con- The entire system of skylighting was •The six bays of the original design (two concrete plane against the weight of the
cept to reality. That this happens fre- transformed as a result of the dc< is of double length), the same number as the sky. At this stage, it is important to con-
quently in architecture will come as no to jettison the glass runts of the bays in Kahn s Kimhell Museum of Art, sider the reasons tor the transformation
surprise to anyone. That it happened in original design. were reduced to five. of Ando's glass pavilions. Peter Arendt
2D i p t i n g \ l n n \ \ ( i I » % 7

I p
W"» "

Clockwise from top left: Enlronce at nighl; stair at end ol concrete gallery boy; entry Ioyer looking toward administration ollites; second floor gallery adjocent to main stair.

graciously m e i w i t h me t o discuss the p r o d u c e a structure ot such visual d o m i - c l i m a t e — unacceptable in Port W o r t h . p o d i u m o n the west and south t o c o u n t e r
period <>l t r a n s l a t i o n . O n e o f the nance that the glass itsell seems caged. T h i s logical interest in tin- preservation ot the w a t e r y " a n t i - p o d i u m " to the n o r t h
M o d e r n ' s earliest decisions was t o n i x the In the weeks after the M o d e r n w o r k of art in o p t i m a l c o n d i t i o n s drives a n d east. It w o u l d also have r h y m e d w i t h
w r a p - a r o u n d glass, w h i c h was neither opened , m a n y visitors w o n d e r e d about m u c h of current museum design. Perhaps Kahn's s k i l l l u l l y disguised e x t e r i o r p a r k -
energy-efficient n o r g o o d f o r the protec - the visual weight of the m u l l i o n s . 1 have the day w i l l come w h e n someone w i t h i n g , w h i c h is c o m p l e t e l y invisible f r o m
t i o n of ligh t sensitive w o r k s o f a r t . A n asked several architect friends a b o u t alter- a u t h o r i t y in art museums w i l l q u e s t i o n the the street. (If is interesting t o note that
a l u m i n u m panel w a s selected as a m a t e r i - natives such as the P i l k i n g t o n System, a u l t i m a t e w i s d o m ot this a p p r o a c h and K a h n t o o h a d o n g i n a l l v designed the
al that w o i d d have the visual character of c u r t a i n - w a l l system used o f t e n by l . M . Pei t h i n k as m u c h about the o p t i m a l v i e w i n g K i m b e l l w i t h u n d e r g r o u n d p a r k i n g , but
glass, hut w o u l d he o p a q u e a n d energy- and F.dward l.arrahee Barnes. It consists c o n d i t i o n s of w o r k s o f art as a b o u t their i n his redesign, m a n a g e d t o hide it.)
efficient. It seems that the panel's p r o p o r - o l sheer vertical sheets of thick glass sepa- millennial survival. A n d o ' s redesign is not so felicitous . F o r
tions d e t e r m i n e d the character o f the c u r - rated by glass m u l l i o n s set at right angles. A n o t h e r absolute rule of a r c h i t e c t u r - a series o f h i g h l y p r a c t i c a l reasons, the
t a i n w a l l . T h e r e f o r e , the glass panels t o o k T h e glass walls in the d o u b l e - h e i g h t l o b b y al d e v e l o p m e n t in the a u t o m o b i l e M o d e r n ' s p a r k i n g was placed o u t - o f -
on the same vertical p r o p o r t i o n as the of H a r r y Cobb's h m m t a i n Place in Dallas obsessed U n i t e d States is t h a t any i n s t i t u - d o o r s o n b o t h the west a n d south sides of
metal panels, necessitating A i u l o ' s design and ot Barnes' Carnegie Institute o f A r t in t i o n must p r o v i d e c a s y - t o - f i n d a n d w e l l - the b u i l d i n g . Thus, a visit t o T h e M o d e m
o f a consistent g r i d w i t h t w o h o r i z o n t a l P i t t s b u r gh are v i r t u a l l y the same height as lit p a r k i n g accessible t o the entrance. T h i s has the c o m f o r t i n g l a m i l i a n t y ot a visit t o
m u l h o n s (to create a t r i p a r t i t e vertical those <'l \ n d o s museum in I o n W o r t h has lead u r b a n art museums i n t o c o n t o r - one's d o c t o r o r a c c o u n t a n t in a s u b u r b a n
d i v i s i o n ! t o c o n t r a s t w i t h the d o u b l e d a n d m a i n t a i n the- s h i m m e r i n g weightless- tionist real-estate deals a n d , in certai n o f f i ce c o m p l e x .
a l u m i n u m panels, '["hen, due t o reasons ness that A n d o sought. Yet the M o d e r n ' s cases, to b u i l d their o w n p a r k i n g garages. lust as the exterior ot the b u i l d i n g was
b o t h o f energy a n d light r e q u i r e m e n t s , staff a n d trustees' desire f o r o p t i m a l c o n - Several o f the c o m p e t i t i o n entries t o the transformed d u r i n g the process ol transla
the glass itself became a t r i p l e s a n d w i c h . d i t i o n s for the conservation o f w o r k s ot M o d e r n proposed u n d e r g r o u n d p a r k i n g , r u m , so roo were the interiors, particularly
T o s u p p o r t this w e i g h t y element, A n d o art (in terms of u l t r a v i o l e t light and t e m - and like the o t h e r s , A n d o protected the the galleries. Ando's c o m p e t i t i o n envi-
elected to use iVticsiaii I I section m u l - perature gradients) ruled out an architec- p r i m a c y o f his a r c h i t e c t u r e f r o m the v i s u - sioned a cleat alternatio n of 2 4 - b y - 1 4 4
hons. because these m u l l i o n s w e r e d i r e c t - t u r a l s o l u t i o n in keeping w i t h A n d o ' s al p o l l u t i o n o t the a u t o m o b i l e by design- foot concrete buildings placed 4 0 feet apart
ly attached t o the a l u m i n u m g r i d , they o r i g i n a l design. The necessity f o r o p a q u e i n g covered p a r k i n g under the a d m i n i s - w i l l i larger-scale intervening spaces that
had t o be c o a t e d w i t h an a l u m i n u m - c o l - panels a n d f o r a t h i c k s a n d w i c h o f v a r i - t r a t i v e / c d u c a t i o n a l / s o c i a l w i n g . This deci- a c c o m m o d a t e d freer internal p a r t i t i o n i n g .
ored surface so as n o t t o clash c h r o m a t i - ously coated glass made Pilkington' s sys- sion w o u l d have ensured that the A n d o I b i s alternation ot confined r o o m s and
cally. These t w o systems, w h e n c o m b i n e d . tem — acceptable in Pittsburgh's cooler b u i l d i n g was viewed f r o m a landscape free space was intended to give the b u i l d i n g
 f i f e 5 7 I 2 o o 3 | i p f i n a 29

Concrete ond gln» gallery bays. Interstitial gallery on second floor.

an architectural rhythm that permits the ihe gallery spaces, where the other system
installation of works of varying scale, style, of light is a clerestory, there is a good
and material in spaces appropriate to them. deal more sense of variable natural light.
It was also designed both to break up and On both the lower and upper floors
to organize exhibition conditions so as to of the galleries, all the wall surfaces on
minimize museum fatigue. On the upper the interior of the concrete buildings are
level, this double nature was stronger white-painted sheetrock, like those in the
because of the alternating systems of natu- Menil Collection and the Dallas Museum
ral light that are, to my mind, the most of Art. There is little attempt to differen-
important contribution of the building to tiate between the concrete buildings so
gallery architecture. The confined galleries fetishi/.ed on the exterior and the inter-
are lit directly from above, and the light til- vening spaces. This is a pity, because, had
lers through a curved, opaque glass ceiling the exterior walls of the concrete build-
light that tills the ceiling completely. By ings remained concrete, works of art
contrast, the long east west walls of the could hang easily against them, as they
free spaces (those outside ot the confined do against the travertine of the Kimbell
galleries) are lit by rows ot clerestory win- Art Museum, and be washed by the natu-
dows, the light from which is directed onto ral light front the clerestory windows.
the walls by curved surfaces based on the The rare places in which works of art tin
traditional coves of Beaux-Arts galleries. hang on concrete (on the second level off
1 lence, the ceiling in these larger, freer the sculpture garden), they look superb.
spaces seems to be suspended between Instead, the museum's consistently white
planes ot a light-struck wall and is dark by walls homogeni/i an experience that tht
contrast with the pure light ceiling of the architect intended to be differentiated.
gallery rooms. This is particularly problematic on the
Ando intended normal shifts in natu- lower level, where the differences of ceil-
ral light to enliven the interplays " I light ing treatment caused by skylights and
to-dark ceilings and naturally-to-artifi- clerestory windows are nonexistent. I also
cially lit walls. Any visitor to the natural- found the partitions of the free spaces to
ly lit galleries in Kahn's Kunbell museum be more intelligent and architecturally
experiences shifting light temperature and integral in the competition plans than in
direction as the day progresses and the final building. It is likely that the
clouds drift across the sky. Due to the rig- explanation for this regularization of
orous intervention ol the Modem's light gallcr\ wall surfaces \\.is a demand ol the
Consultant, George Sexton, the natural curatorial stall, who wanted uniformity Grand stair 1o •second lloor.
light ot north Texas has been so effective- so that they could install work with in.is
ly filtered that it is difficult to experience miuin flexibility. II so, this is a pity.
as natural light. Sexton developed a stun- Uniformity and flexibility are not quali-
ningly simple "double gradient" of apcr- ties of great architecture.
ittres lor statural light above the opaque In the press and among visitors to
glass ceiling lights in the second floor gal- the Modern, there has been much discus-
leries. These vary gradually from mini- sion about Ando's mastery ot concrete.
mum to maximum apertures as a direct The tales told by the staff, docents, and
result ot the screen's distance troni the other tour guides about the expensive
light source — a long slit in the roof, Finnish plywood tonus are now legend
invisible to the viewer and similar in scale in the area, and visitors know to caress
to that in Kahn's Kimbell Museum of Ando's silky walls. The tactile effect is
Art. This system results in light of almost extraordinary, even to those of us who
complete uniformity and chromatic tem- knew Louis Kalin and who had the
perature, making the ceiling seem to chance to work with him and the lorm
inanv visitors as it it is artificiallv lit. In workers at his various projects. Kahn's
30 s p i i n g i i a n i If i t e S 7

installed by A l f r e d Barr, led t o the w h i t e - Poussin, and C h a r d i n . It is clear that the

w a l l e d c o m m e r c i a l galleries o f '40s and M o d e r n in Fort W o r t h is p a r t o f this t r a-
'50s N e w Y o r k . T h i s d o m e s t i c a l l y scaled d i t i o n o t e n n o b l e m e n t O f all the b u i l d -
and u n p r e t e n t i o u s f o r m o f m o d e r n i s m ings in the c o m p e t i t i o n , A n d o ' s w a s the
persisted in the design o f spaces l o r m o d - most a r c h i t e c t u r a l l y a m b i t i o u s a n d the
ern art t h r o u g h o u t the m i d - c e n t u r y and most m o n u m e n t a l . Yet far f r o m being
was b r o k e n in |S»59 by the b r i l l i a n t entry aggressive, A n d o ' s b u i l d i n g has a serenity
of f r a n k L l o y d W r i g h t ' s late masterpiece and subtlety of massing t h a t m i g h t be
f o r the Ciuggenheim M u s e u m I w h i c h he mistaken for a r c h i t e c t u r a l modesty. T h i s
o r i g i n a l l y designed t o be r e d d i s h - b r o w n ! ) , b u i l d i n g , as w e have seen, is a n y t h i n g b i n
l o r W r i g h t , and f o r his p a t r o n s a n d t h e i r m o d e s t , a n d its imagery of f l o a t i n g p a v i l -
advisors , m o d e r n art c o n s t i t u t e d such a ions whose roof's are s u p p o r t e d by thrust-
f u n d a m e n t a l break f r o m h i s t o r i c a l art ing c o l u m n s d o m i n a t e s utterly. M o d e r n
that it needed spaces as e x p e r i m e n t a l as art is great a r t at A n d o ' s M o d e r n .
the a r t . N e w Y o r k became a b a t t l e g r o u n d
in the tight between the c o o l , m o d e s t l y Conclusion
domestic a n d n e u t r a l m o d e r n i s m of The M o d e r n c o n t r i b u t e s m u c h t o the
M o M A a n d the a r c h i t e c t u r a l l y aggressive debate a b o u t m o d e r n i t y a n d c o n t e m p o
m o d e r n i s m of T h e Ciuggenheim. raneity in a r t . Yet the b u i l d i n g raises as
Generally , m o d e r n art museum s i n m a n y questions as it answers w i t h its
the U n i t e d States have f o l l o w e d M o M A ' s i n a u g u r a l i n s t a l l a t i o n o f the M o d e m ' s
m o d e l of restrained elegance and m o d - impressive but spotty p e r m a n e n t collec-
esty. T o this has been g r a f t e d a t r a d i t i o n t i o n . O n the l o w e r level, w o r k s by c a n o n -
o f p l a c i n g c o n t e m p o r a r y art i n r a w ical artists o f the m i d - c e n t u r y are housed
spaces created t o r i n d u s t r i a l use in the in spaces w i t h no n a t u r a l light — a
| 9 r h and earlier 2 0 t h centuries, MK\ this strange c h o i c e, since p a i n t i n g s by
t r e n d , started in E u r o p e , n o w plays wel l R o t h k o , M o t h e r w e l l , G u s t o n and Pollock
internationally. The rationale of both w o u l d benefit f r o m d a y l i g h t . T h e second-
n e u t r a l i t y and rawness is that e x p e r i m e n - f l o o r galleries are filled w i t h e x p e r i m e n t a l
tal m o d e r n art is best seen in spaces t h a i art — often p h o t o g r a p h i c , hence light-
are a d a p t a b l e , inexpensive, and w e l l p r o - sensitive — o t the past decade o r t w o .
Stair al end gallery bay
p o r t i o n e d . T h e q u a l i t y o l light a n d the T h e placement o f these w o r k s in galleries
n e u t r a l i t y o f c o l o r are m o r e i m p o r t a n t o f such expense a n d refinement forces the
t h a n an interactive a r c h i t e c t u r a l character viewer t o accept t h e m as great w o r k s
or an i n t e r p l a y between the f o r m a l q u a l i - rather t h a n t o recognize that they, like all
ties of art and those of a r c h i t e c t u r e. The recent w o r k s o l a r t , must w i t h s t a n d at
o t h e r s u b t e x t o f this n o t i o n is t h a t m o d - least a generatio n o f c r i t i c i s m a n d e x h i b i -
ern art is n o t t o be associated w i t h b o u r - t i o n belore l h c \ .ire e l l e c t i v e h c a n o n i / c d .
w a v e d p l v w u o d f o r m s , his lead plugs, c h r o m a t i c d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n w o u l d be desir- geois l u x u r i e s a n d t h u s , w i t h the d e c o r a t - Yet tor m e , the biggest d i s a p p o i n t m e n t o f
and his insistence o n sharp c o r n e r s m u s t able. But in a b u i l d i n g ot such o v e r a r c h - ed i n t e r i o r s ot what m i g h t be called the the M o d e r n is not that the c o l l e c t i o n has
be the source tor A n d o ' s even m o r e i n g r e f i n e m e n t , such a c c i d e n t a l - l o o k i n g Beaux-Arts museum. weaknesses ( n o Johns or K a u s c h e u b e r g ,
relined systems ot p o u r i n g and treeing the v a r i a t i o n doesn't w o r k t o the b u i l d i n g ' s D u r i n g the past g e n e r a t i o n in b o t h f o r e x a m p l e , and not a single w o r k o f
w a l l s f r o m the m o l d s . Yet, t o the eyes o f a d v a n t a g e . T h e Pulitzer F o u n d a t i o n and F.urope a n d the U n i t e d States, m o d e m art m o d e m art f r o m before 1 9 4 0 ) , but that
m a n y w h o have visited o i l i e r A n d o p r o j - A n d o ' s w o n d e r f u l house i n C h i c a g o have has so c o m p l e t e l y t r i u m p h e d over O l d A b u i l d i n g conceived w i t h such b r i l l i a n c e
ects, the p r o b l e m w i t h the concrete at the concrete w a l l s b o t h lighter in c o l o r and M a s t e r paintings in b o t h the m a r k e t a n d was not realized w i t h a respect equal t o
M o d e r n is neither its surface t e x t u r e n o r m o r e consistent t h a n that in Fort W o r t h . the p u b l i c i m a g i n a t i o n that museums that b r i l l i a n c e . We k n o w f r o m c o m p a r i -
us razor-sharp c o r n e r s , but rather the designed t o house it began t o ennoble son t o the K u n b e l l that the i n s t a l l a t i o n
c o l o r a n d us u m s i s t c i i c ) t h r o u g h o u t a Ando's Museum in Context m o d e r n i s m . W h e n considered as a g r o u p , at the o p e n i n g can be c o m p l e t e l y trans-
w a l l . Texas is tilled w i t h concrete b u i l d - The M o d e r n ' s m o u u m e u t a l i t y and a r c h i - the recently c o m p l e t e d m u s e u m s of m o d - f o r m e d and i m p r o v e d t h r o u g h t i m e . Yet
ings o l real refinement ll'ei's Dallas I itv t e c t u r a l a m b i t i o n must he considered m e r n and c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t in San we must remember that it w a s L o u i s
I i.ill a n d Johnson's T h a n k s g i \ ing Square r e l a t i o n s h i p t o the a r c h i t e c t u r a l t r a d i t i o n s Francisco, Los Angeles, a n d C h i c a g o (or, K a h n w h o c o m p l e t e l y redesigned the
C h a p e l , for e x a m p l e , are e x t r a o r d i n a r y i n o f the m o d e r n - a r t m u s e u m . In 1^.39, the outside the c o u n t r y , iu M a a s t r i c h t , K i m h e l l so that it c o u l d be b u i l t w i t h i n
color, consistency, shape, and tine), l-'or N e w Y o r k M u s e u m ot M o d e r n A n erect- H a m b u r g , o r M o n t e r r e y ) , have become budget. O n e suspects that it was less
that reason, and because of the p r o x i m i t y ed its first b u i l d i n g , « hose high m o d m o d e r n i s t palaces raised on p o d i u m s that A n d o w h o u n d e r c u t the M o d e m t h a n
of the k i m h e l l A r t M u s e u m , it is possible e n l i s t street facade protecte d a r t i f i c i a l l y are, in effect, B e a u x - A r t s museum s w i t h - Peter A r e n d t , l.inbeck C o n s t r u c t i o n ,
t o w o n d e r a b o u t A n d o ' s o b d u r a t e , and to lit galleries w i t h l o w ceilings. This b u i l d - o u t the o r n a m e n t . If m o d e r n o r c o n t e m - a n d their bosses, the museum's generous
m j eye, d e a d e n i n g m i d - v a l u e c o o l gray ing's system of small r o o m s , n o n - l o a d - p o r a r y art is housed in b u i l d i n g s o l this d o n o r s a n d its senior staff. A s u b l i m e
color. A l s o , in n u m e r o u s instances the bearing, brightly lit white walls, and effi- splendor a n d a m b i t i o n , surely this art c o n c e p t i o n — one of the very greatest in
b u i l d i n g suiters f r o m visually d i s r u p t i v e cient staircases came t o be associated m u s t be as great as that o f the O l d the history o f m u s e u m design — has
c o l o i v a r i a t i o n s w i t h i n the w a l l . If the w i t h .111 aesthetic o l the M o d e r n In m a n y Masters. P o l l o c k , R o t h k o , S h e r m a n , and become a great b u i l d i n g that c o u l d have
b u i l d i n g had a beU»i brut q u a l i t y , such w a y s , the r o o m s ot the M o d e r n , as lust Kiefer become R a p h a e l , R e m b r a n d t , been s u b l i m e . •