Re: Gardner Museum to undertake $60 million expansion
I'll save my final critique for when this building opens but after swinging by while I went through Boston this weekend I have to say it looks like something took a giant green shit behind the ISG Museum.
I'll get to the color later but first what is offensive is that they moved the entire entrance to the new addition. This is the same mistake the MFA made with the I.M. Pie wing and I have a feeling in 30 years they will want to move it back.
The shape is strange. I have no problem with the addition as a singular object; the lines and massing are fine. But sitting next to the original building it just doesn't make any sense. It's the same height but it just doesn't feel right.
And the color. What. The. Fuck. No seriously, after what kind of coke binge did someone think that was a good idea? A limestone or lighter color stone would be fine, in fact it would tone down the entire project and make the addition jive better. Hot Copper Green? Someone needs to pay for this.
The Architectural presses will swoon over this because none of them will actually go to the building and only see it from pictures taken from strategic angles that conveniently obscure the original building. What a disgrace.