MFA Expansion

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Oh boy

Who are the poor MFA employees who are going to get stuck working in there, instead of in the new wing?
 
Tuesday the 21st:

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Re: Oh boy

JimboJones said:
Who are the poor MFA employees who are going to get stuck working in there, instead of in the new wing?
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My guess is that the poorly sited George Robert White Wing will be torn down and replaced by museum space. The functions in the White wing will move to Forsyth.

George Robert White Wing:
http://www.mfa.org/about/sub.asp?key=61&subkey=680&topkey=61
 
Rumors ...

What the White Wing Does:

The White Wing is where the 3rd floor administration offices are (Development, Executive Director, etc.) and the 4th floor conservation lab. Bravo and the cafe/shop are on levels 2 and 1.

The administrative offices will be incorporated into the new wing, and the lab will remain and expand to where the 3rd floor administrative offices are, currently.

(Yes, I was trying to be funny with the title.)
 
State Street Corpporation Supports Museum of Fine Arts, Boston with $10 Million ? Largest Corporate Gift in MFA History
A couple of excerpts:
In recognition of this generous gift, the MFA will name the Museum?s Fenway entrance?which has been closed for more than two decades?the State Street Fenway Entrance. It will open to the public in Spring 2008 and is the first major construction milestone of the MFA?s Building Project. This gift, which represents a continuation of State Street?s long-standing partnership with the Museum, will enhance the MFA?s connection to its surrounding Fenway and Longwood neighborhoods. It also will enliven the relationship between the Museum and the Back Bay Fens, promising to renew the appeal of one of the great urban parks in the country?Frederick Law Olmsted?s Emerald Necklace.
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When it opens in Spring 2008, the north-facing State Street Fenway Entrance will welcome visitors through one of the Museum?s original grand and historic entrances. This reinforces the strong north/south axis of Lowell?s original master plan for the building, which was a key design element incorporated by Foster and Partners ( London), architects of the Museum?s Building Project. The design for the State Street Fenway Entrance features ramps on either side of the entrance for increased accessibility, new sidewalks, granite walkways, enhanced landscaping, dramatic lighting, and contemporary reflecting pools with jet fountains. Working with Foster and Partners is landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd.
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The new State Street entrance will really help to shorten the walk from the Aquarium to the MFA.
 
underground said:
The new State Street entrance will really help to shorten the walk from the Aquarium to the MFA.
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Ha! I was thinking along similar lines.

In a city where Tremont St. can intersect Tremont St., where there are three different Washington Sts., Berkeley is a street and Berklee is a music school, and countless other confusions, does it really make sense for a major tourist destination to designate a "State Street Entrance" that is nowhere near State Street?

Oh well, I guess if State Street Financial isn't on State St. anymore, anything goes.
 
Reminds me of the narrowly-avoided "Shawmut Center", which would have caused hundreds of Bruins and Celtics fans to wander aimlessly around a quiet residential Dorchester neighborhood.
 
Time to get this thread rolling!!

I was down to the MFA on Sunday for the annual gallery talk "Poets Tell of Christmas" that is performed by a great story teller -- Prof. Henry Augustine Tate -- who is a true Renaissance Man of this city and shouldn't be missed ? whenever he is lecturing / er performing

But as I've always wanted to say in this forum -- I digress

I was down at the MFA a bit over a week ago and I was disappointed ? nothing new was visible on casual observation

And then Voila!!!! ? MAJOR CONDTRUCTION is beginning to be visible -- both inside and outside:
1) A GIANT TOWER Crane has appeared - -we need some good pix
2) a large hole is being dug on Forsyth Way for both the New American Wing and the new underground Glass Gund Gallery

3) Major internal construction is also well underway integrated into the original Guy Lowell-designed Huntington and Evans Wing structure -- with a soon to open roughly in order of completion {spring, summer, autumn}:
3a) renovated Fenway {North? -- I'd always assumed the prime axis was E-W -- so much for my innate sense of directions -- But once more I digress} -- the renovated Fenway entrance with public / member access control vestibule, mobility features {ramps}
3b) a new, state-of-the-art multimedia-enabled Sharff Vistitor Center replacing the old {relatively recently named and renovated} Lane Gallery -- that formerly housed major 20th Century American stuff ? itself moving to the new American Wing -- but once more I digress
3c) a newly renovated Huntington Ave. entrance: new mobility access ramps, newly renovated access control vestibule {the main ticketing area and staircase vestibule and lobby area {coat check, etc} feeding into the rotunda and then directly to the Sharff visitor Center -- Huntington Ave {sorry I forgot -- now called Avenue des Artes} is to become the primary entrance to the MFA

Anyway -- we need some pix of any of this work that is visible

The MFA should be a very active site over the next few months {both the real place and this forum} as the MFA is spending more than $300 M under the control of Foster and Partners and his signature exposed Steel and Glass will be rising -- one hopes in gentle contrast to the existing Guy Lowell world famous granite monolith

So let?s get this thread rolling in 2008!


Westy
 
Rolling right along...

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The Forsyth building. It'd be great if the MFA found some uses that makes it accessible to the public.

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1330 Boylston from the MFA. As buildings go up in West Fenway the Fens is starting to feel more like the Common or Public Garden: a park in the middle of the city rather than at its edge. Hopefully the reopening of the museum's north entrance and the rising population of West Fenway will give the Fens increasing use and prominence and lead to its eventual restoration.

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Re: Forsyth Building and Master Plan

I hope that Foster and Partners are involved in the Forsyth purchase
Here?s my modest suggestion as to what the MFA ought to do -- perhaps after the Art of the Americas Wing is well underway:

1) Arrange a trade with the City of Boston for the Park on Forsyth Way with the Forsyth Parking lot
2) Move as much as possible of the non-essential for direct visitor support functions into Forsyth Building -- {e.g. conservation, offices, etc.}
3) Arrange with the City of Boston to Move Forsyth Way closer to the Forsyth Building ? i.e. where the Park is now
4) Extend the MFA lawn to the East of the Art of the America?s Wing into the current street just beyond the Art of the Ancient World Wing
5) Take-over the full Evans Wing for the Art of Europe
5a) Top Floor post Roman to academic French 19th Century
5a1) Bring Back the Tapestries
5a2) construct appropriate style settings for the Medieval and Renaissance painting and sculptures in context -- {i.e. faux cathedral}
5b) devote the Bottom Floor to the Impressionists through middle 20th Century including decorative arts and sculptures in context
6) Put all the Modern stuff, Textiles, etc., into the current West Wing
7) Arrange with the T to move the Green Line Museum Stop to opposite the new main entrance
8) Work with the City to improve the connection through the Back Bay Fens to the Museum?s new {once and future} Fenway Entrance

While most of this will never happen ? it would make a true World Class destination - -even more so

Westy

Re: Forsyth Building and Master Plan

I hope that Foster and Partners are involved in the Forsyth purchase
Here?s my modest suggestion as to what the MFA ought to do -- perhaps after the Art of the Americas Wing is well underway:

1) Arrange a trade with the City of Boston for the Park on Forsyth Way with the Forsyth Parking lot
2) Move as much as possible of the non-essential for direct visitor support functions into Forsyth Building -- {e.g. conservation, offices, etc.}
3) Arrange with the City of Boston to Move Forsyth Way closer to the Forsyth Building ? i.e. where the Park is now
4) Extend the MFA lawn to the East of the Art of the America?s Wing into the current street just beyond the Art of the Ancient World Wing
5) Take-over the full Evans Wing for the Art of Europe
5a) Top Floor post Roman to academic French 19th Century
5a1) Bring Back the Tapestries
5a2) construct appropriate style settings for the Medieval and Renaissance painting and sculptures in context -- {i.e. faux cathedral}
5b) devote the Bottom Floor to the Impressionists through middle 20th Century including decorative arts and sculptures in context
6) Put all the Modern stuff, Textiles, etc., into the current West Wing
7) Arrange with the T to move the Green Line Museum Stop to opposite the new main entrance
8) Work with the City to improve the connection through the Back Bay Fens to the Museum?s new {once and future} Fenway Entrance

While most of this will never happen ? it would make a true World Class destination -- even more so

Westy


PS: It's great to see the construction well underway

Looking forward to major structural work completed in the next 12 months
 
"1330 Boylston from the MFA. As buildings go up in West Fenway the Fens is starting to feel more like the Common or Public Garden: a park in the middle of the city rather than at its edge."

I'm glad you were able to find something good about 1330 Boylston. Although I like what it does for the urbanity of the city it is one of the ugliest new buildings in Boston, and that is saying something.
 
?As buildings go up in West Fenway the Fens is starting to feel more like the Common or Public Garden: a park in the middle of the city rather than at its edge."

While not a perfect analogy because of the Fenway / Riverway -- Huntington would then essentially become the local Boylston Street and we should see imminent calls to put the Green Line in a tunnel at least down to the Mass College of Art.

Westy
 
The rear facade of the Forsyth building facing the ugly 1970s labs is preserved as part of the interior space. The exterior facade became an interior wall and from my understanding it is in decent condition for restoration. If that addition was removed and the original forecourt restored to Forsyth street, that would create a pleasant face visible to and from Huntington Avenue.
 
The MFA should move all the functions not directly related to the stuff in the Galleries {e.g. conservation,} and other visitor functions {eating , drinking and buying}over to the Forsyth

Then they should offer the deal to the City of moving the street and exchanging the parking lot for the small park to improve the pedestrian environment in the area and to give the Main MFA a better front /side yard

Westy

PS: -- we need more pix of progress on the MFA project
 
A very recent MFA fund raising letter says ? ?the footprint of the "Art of the America's Wing" is visible and that steel should begin to rise this spring along with the re-opening of the Fenway entrance.

The MFA also claims that within the next six months both Huntington and Fenway entrances will be re-done, re-landscaped, and connected by a new centrally located Sharf visitor center -- that is currently taking over the gallery that formerly held the O?Keefe?s and the other 20th Century American stuff

Westy
 
Re: MFA Expansion - Fenway opening June 20 - June 22

The Museum of Fine Arts' Fenway opening is scheduled for a June 20 ribbon cutting, a June 21 private gala, and June 22 free admission day.

State Street paid $10 million for the naming privilege, the museum's largest corporate gift (although there have been bigger foundation gifts, through the years ...).

From last year's press release, announcing the gift:

The Museum of Fine Arts opened its granite Beaux-Arts building, designed by Boston architect Guy Lowell, on Huntington Avenue in 1909. (The Museum was previously located at Copley Square, from 1876 to 1909.) In 1915, the Robert Dawson Evans Wing opened, reflecting Lowell?s original classical revival design. Its dramatic, columned entrance overlooks the Fens section of Olmsted?s majestic green space, the Emerald Necklace. This entrance has been closed since the early 1980s, when the Evans Wing was renovated and the entrance to the West Wing became the main entry point for visitors when it opened in 1981. (In 1995, the Museum?s Huntington Avenue entrance, which had been closed since 1991, also re-opened, welcoming neighbors to the south in Mission Hill.)

When it opens in Spring 2008, the north-facing State Street Fenway Entrance will welcome visitors through one of the Museum?s original grand and historic entrances. This reinforces the strong north/south axis of Lowell?s original master plan for the building, which was a key design element incorporated by Foster and Partners (London), architects of the Museum?s Building Project. The design for the State Street Fenway Entrance features ramps on either side of the entrance for increased accessibility, new sidewalks, granite walkways, enhanced landscaping, dramatic lighting, and contemporary reflecting pools with jet fountains. Working with Foster and Partners is landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd.

The State Street Fenway Entrance will open to a lobby and ticketing desk as visitors enter the Museum. Continuing along, they will then arrive at the relocated Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Center (nearly 5,000 square feet), where they can learn more about the Museum?s exhibitions and programs and plan their visit. The MFA?s Building Project includes the construction of a new American Wing along Forsyth Way, the creation of the glass-enclosed Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard, the development of new educational facilities and conservation labs, the renovation of existing galleries, and the addition of new visitor amenities.

The Building Project is expected to be completed in late 2010.

http://mfa.org/press/index.asp
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