It's unfortunate that you have to make a comment like this bc you know there are no other designers that have quite the portfolio like Rand and therefore he's the only name in town to be chosen for such projects. Let's just hope they steer him in a direction outside of the mold of boathouses and we see something unique here.
Rand has done a whole lot more than the boathouses....a lot of award winning projects. And, his designs are very contemporary in nature.
He is listed on their website as being in the Founders Circle."He has served on our board of trustees since the organization’s inception,” Keesee said.
Related to Oklahoma Contemporary, Marfa Contemporary? ...About | Marfa
JTF has mentioned several times that OKC doesn't have a particular architectural style that runs throughout the city. Perhaps we'll become known for the Rand Elliott style.
Rand is incredibly well-qualified for this work. He has done other museum projects, including the Stuart Wing at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the OU campus, and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
I have also personally spoken with him at length about his love and admiration for Louis Khan's design of the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth and of how that design "forces" an experience (a peacefully reflective one) on visitors coming in through the front of the building. He is hyper-aware of how architecture and art can interact to create experience, and Oklahoma Contemporary is especially well-matched to his skill set.
Rand would be a tremendous choice for this project even if he did not have unique insight and experience with this museum's specific vision and mission, which of course he does.
^^agreed
He'll do a fine job with the inside... but I'm curious how this will impact such an urban site. Most of this new construction stuff, that I've seen, turns its back to the street and celebrates the building, not people. His building rehabs always turn out great, and his interiors are always interesting, hence the award winning...
Most architecture planning and design professionals in the state take a nuanced view toward Rand's work. Typically he does best in urban settings when his project is already standing (Red, his office, Postal Plaza, Lyric @ Plaza). With new builds he is not particularly known for embracing urban scale.
This will be interesting to watch. This could be an opportunity for downtown to gain a new signature type work. I'm just not sure how much room the designer has to incorporate unique elements, though. Rand can't really depart too much from what's universally accepted or familiar if it is to be accepted long term. You would think a "contemporary" art space would reflected its mission, but how much contemporary will OKC accept? Rand Elliot is probably a safe choice in that regard, in that the firm has a good idea of what the market will and won't accept. Rand Elliot seems capable of doing contemporary looking work that won't push past the community's comfort zone and, in that sense, is probably a wise choice. Someone less sensitive to that could go too unique or innovative, which has the potential to turn a lot of people off here.
An update by Steve.
http://www.oklahoman.com/article/4946746?embargo=1
A 27-foot-high “showroom” constructed from shipping containers is being planned for the corner of NW 11 and Broadway Drive as Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center prepares to raise money for a new downtown home along Automobile Alley.
Officials with Oklahoma Contemporary declined to comment on the project, but an application filed with the city also reveals publicly for the first time the organization’s intent to have its permanent new building built by July 2017.
More shopping crates, eh.
Will be nice to see something happening on that spot.
Increasingly, it stands out as a big hole while everything is filling in all around.
Hope they can raise a ton of money and get a beautiful, permanent museum built.
Here are the renderings and plans for the temporary container installation on the Oklahoma Contemporary site at NW 11th & Broadway.
It's two levels; offices on the ground floor and the gallery on the second. The tall, vertical container will house the stairway between the two then open above the stairs. Renderings are from HSE Architecture.
Really slick:
307 NW 13th * 816 N. Walker * 1201 N. Francis * 123 Garage * Ambassador Hotel * Bleu Garten * Broadway 10 * Buick Building * Catholic Charities * Edge @ Midtown * Fassler Hall / Dust Bowl * Garage Burgers * GE Global Research * Guardian * LIFT * Lisbon Lofts * Marion * Mayfair Apartments * Metropolitan * OCU Law School * Packard Building * Packard's * Pontiac Building * Pop-up Shops * R&J Lounge and Supper Club * Saint Anthony Expansion * Sidecar * Sunbeam * Viceroy Grille * Walker Building
They should stay at the Fairgrounds until they raise some money.
Very cool.
Like it! Kudos again to you, Pete, on the great map in post #65; that helps put things in perspective so well.
Wish they'd bring this back to the Arts District, but that ship has probably already sailed.
It's like a mini-Stage Center...... Too soon..... Too soon....
I like it a lot.
Oklahoma Contemporary is planning to do a massive public art installation by New York artist Orly Genger.
This would be the first of a series of temporary public art displays in Campbell Park along Broadway. Oklahoma Contemporary is currently raising funds to relocate from the fairgrounds to the large empty lots immediately east of the park.
This would also coincide with the colorful shipping container installation on their property (see article at top of page).
Genger has done similar displays, most notably at New York's Madison Square Park (picture below). The Campbell Park sculpture would be red-orange in hue, inspired by Oklahoma's red dirt.
The display would commence mid October 2014 and run for a year.
ORLY GENGER
Brooklyn artist creates installation with lobster rope | Brooklyn Daily Eagle
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks