Allen - Blog 15

What was once three museums is now the Harvard Art Museums.  With an expansion and restoration the three prior Harvard museums are "together at the former Fogg site on Quincy Street, but while the old Fogg facade and courtyard have been preserved, nearly everything else is brand new. And the brand new is, generally speaking, Mr. Piano’s doing. He pushed the original building’s back wall through to the next street and raised the roof to add a story. The roof, a bifurcated glass pyramid, is all but invisible from Harvard Yard, but, along with a boxy new entrance facade..."

  Renzo adds the necessary space by building on to the rear of the building and making it the new entrance.  This increases the area for the museums display areas, cafe, etc. all while building up to the glass pyramid shaped addition that serves the conservation lab and the Art Study Center for students.

This addition is beautifully lit inside with the glass roof letting in an abundance of natural light; this creates an enthralling indoor space in which to experience the art that is on display.

This addition does have its criticisms as well, with my initial reaction to the "entrance facade" as one of disbelief...how could you do so little with so much?

This long blank wall of nothing is anything but inviting or innovative in its form, lacking any distinguishable detailing or ornateness to interest the eye.  Instead your eyes are overwhelmed by the void so that you want more than anything to look anywhere else, much like when you begin to talk aloud rather than be left in silence, starved of sound, only here starved of visual interest.

In person the exterior may be more forgiving as the large exterior floating wall is horizontally slatted which gives some form of detail but not much to ensure its redemption.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/arts/design/harvard-art-museums-revamped-and-reopened.html?_r=0#
"Harvard Art Museums Renovation and Expansion / Renzo Piano + Payette" 18 Nov 2014. ArchDaily. Accesed 27 Jun 2015. http://www.archdaily.com/568736/harvard-art-museums-renovation-and-expansion-renzo-piano-payette/

Rory Stott. "Critical Round-Up: Renzo Piano's Harvard Art Museums" 23 Nov 2014. ArchDaily. Accesed 27 Jun 2015. http://www.archdaily.com/570844/critical-round-up-renzo-piano-s-harvard-art-museums/