Statue of Paul Kruger in Church Square on June 10, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa. The statue was painted with red paint and the words killer painted on it. George Floyd’s death is reported to result in the removal by protesters in some cases and city leaders in others of contentious statues that have pissed off some residents for decades. (Photo by Alet Pretorius / Gallo Images via Getty Images)
On January 21, 2021, the Tackling Racism in London task force recommended that the City of London, a city governing body that oversees the city’s historic center, remove two controversial statues from its Guildhall headquarters. To make this recommendation, the task force consulted over 1,500 members of the public on colonial monuments in the region.
It comes shortly after UK Housing and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick vowed to introduce legislation that would make it harder for local authorities to remove monuments, as monuments should not be removed “to the demand for screaming crowds “. In this bill, the last word will go to the government.
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Joel Levinson was in his second year studying architecture at the University of Pennsylvania when he heard two students talking like they weren’t up to anything good. These being construction enthusiasts, however, their illicit conversation turned out to be a far cry from planning house parties while they were perched in the library stacks. Instead, the whispered dialogue was more of the drawing board variety: “They were talking about attaching triangular shapes in their otherwise orthogonal and blocky building designs.” Levinson remember. At the time, Levinson was intrigued. But today, he credits the moment with having catalyzed his lifelong interest in what he calls “diagonality” or, more simply, the study of diagonal lines.
Soon after this chance encounter, Levinson began to notice that diagonal shapes and vectors were pretty much everywhere he looked, in the magazines he subscribed to with the work of his teachers (including Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi). Of course, diagonal lines weren’t exactly invented when Levinson was a student in the 1960s. But they may have seen a new wave of popularity in the visual zeitgeist. Since then, Levinson has continued to time their occurrences over the decades, while balancing his own career and architectural practice. With plenty of newspaper clippings, some writing work, and a website later, Levinson decided to take things to the next level and turn his massive archive into an online museum.
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This effort, which was recently launched, is officially billed as the Virtual museum of diagonal daring. But despite its digital format, the online business includes its own imaginary museum floor plan. It is through this portal that visitors can click on separate “galleries”, all organized by disciplines and themes or by chronology. There are sections devoted to architecture (unsurprisingly), fine art, landscaping, interior design, and more, as well as treasures of images from ancient Egypt. , the computer age and many intervening historical periods.
Through the Levinson Portal, interested users will find photographs of urban skyscrapers such as the Hearst Tower and works of legendary artists, including Frank Stella. There are also images loaded with diagonal lines that fall somewhere in between – examples of artwork that show architectural works, as well as artistic renderings of humanity’s Herculean building efforts during various periods of progress. “What I hear from everyone is first that they even have trouble pronouncing the word diagonal. But then I get a call and they say, ‘Wait, I see it everywhere,’ ”says Levinson. “People have been blind to this very ubiquitous geometric technique.”
A piece by Frank Stella included in the Daring Diagonal Virtual Museum.
Photo: Courtesy of Daring Diagonal Virtual Museum
An artistic rendering that unites several areas of Levinson’s interest.
Once upon a time, when people were still streaming music from their hard drives, there was a software that almost everyone used to listen to MP3s: Winamp.
The best thing about it was that you could change the look of the interface – something you can’t do with most streaming services like Spotify.
Many of these Winamp “skins” are finally making their way into the history books with the Winamp Skin Museum.
On this website, you just scroll through tens of thousands of these highly personalized Winamp statement songs and can even try them out to play songs.
The variety of skins was – and still is – so massive that California developer Jordan Eldredge wanted to create a monument for it.
The site accesses the Internet Archive’s Winamp skin collection and features a virtually endless wallpaper of scrolling skins, all tightly grouped together.
Eldredge even made the skins fully functional, meaning you can click on them, play songs, and adjust the EQ, just like before, with 13 sample tracks to choose from.
Click “Open Files” – the eject button – and you can even play your own MP3 files, if any of these relics still remain on your computer.
And if you have some exciting Winamp skins that are not yet in the collection, you can submit them. Just click on the download button with the arrow at the top right of the page. – dpa
In these particular times, we are doing everything we can to adapt to particular means, and one of those things is virtual tourism. Most of the public places are still locked around the world and we cannot visit our favorite places. So there is now a whole new museum that is opening and which is strictly virtual. The online virtual art museum is scheduled to open on September 4 and will be free to everyone. A great opportunity for those who cannot travel to see some of the most valuable works of art.
The fully interactive virtual museum is the first of its kind in the world and will showcase both classic and contemporary works of art. You would be delighted to know that the museum will feature works by Manet, Bosch and more.
The online museum is a fantastic way to get interested people involved and has successfully used technology to create something extraordinary. Many people have been involved in this work, such as gamers, designers, curators, and CGI designers, to provide the audience with the best possible experience. The works of art are nothing less than high resolution, and you also have plenty of reference material and related information about these works. You can be in the comfort of your own home and experience some of the finest works of art.
Then, the experience is not limited to simply viewing artwork online. The online museum is actually located inside a digital building, so you can walk around the whole place and even chat with others and read their reviews. Not only that, but as you walk around the museum the weather and time will change. So it can be a nice warm night, or a cold and rainy day, or more.
The Virtual Online Museum of Art will have a gallery dedicated to human connection, while another will be called Degenerate art exhibition. The latter is particularly interesting because it recreates the Nazi exhibition of 1937 with the works of artists who were called Degenerate. Notable artists such as Henri Matisse and Max Beckmann feature in this section, and it shows how art can be misused to oppress people.
As they design the buildings for the museum of the future, architects and engineers wonder what lasting impacts the pandemic will have. Photo credit: Buro Happold
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Here’s a happy thought: COVID-19 will – at some point – recede, and like pandemics of the past, that will be history, another story to be told. But once the disease is gone, will any of the effects persist, maybe even forever? People speculated so much, forecasting positive forecasts and negative effects on our economy, our public policies and our professional and social life.
In the museum realm, many questioned whether some of the programming and exhibition adaptations would be maintained, with more availability online and an increased emphasis on serving the local community. But what about the physical presences of the museums themselves: their buildings? Will they be redesigned and reoriented to follow suit?
To find out, we spoke with architects and engineers from two leading firms: Cooper Robertson, known for projects like the Whitney Museum and Studio Museum in Harlem, and Buro Happold, a contributor to projects like the Academy. Museum of Motion Pictures and the Louvre. Abu Dhabi. Here’s what they had to say about pandemic planning.
Beyond measures to create a safe environment for visitors and staff after the reopening, institutions all assess the status quo and look for opportunities in times of crisis.
Financial challenges are prompting reconsideration of planned expansions. In some cases, we are asked to look at incremental expansions that may better align with reduced funding projections. In other cases, there is a desire to wait and see the long-term impact of the virus before moving forward with future plans that may need to reflect new or changed strategic goals.
It is questioned whether attendance will continue to be an important indicator of museum growth, which has implications for space. Financial pressures are forcing museums to think about how to use their existing spaces more effectively and whether growth is necessarily the best way forward. Many of our recent museum planning projects have focused on existing spaces, finding ways to correct mistakes made in previous expansions. At the same time, the emphasis on online content has enabled museums to reach increasingly larger audiences than is generally possible in their physical space. Online engagement is expected to encourage, among other benefits, more and more diverse in-person visits over the long term.
Working from home has clear benefits for the environment and working life. More flexible working arrangements are likely to stay here and should reduce the need for offices and workspaces for on-site staff. Some of these existing spaces could be reallocated, while the need for space for expanded staff could decrease.
There is greater interest in strengthening ties to the outdoors with spaces for art exhibitions, programs and meals. This is linked to a wider trend to focus on spaces that promote a sense of health and well-being.
Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut. Photo credit: Buro Happold
There are concerns about how gathering spaces – classrooms, theaters and event spaces – may continue to provide important sources of revenue for museums as social distancing remains necessary. Museums have sought new sponsorship that can support the use of gathering spaces for temporary artist programs or for performances without an audience or with a socially distant audience that are broadcast online, although the potential to generate income. for these activities seem limited. Spaces with the inherent flexibility to move from a conference or event room to art spaces or other uses may respond better in the future, including unexpected changes such as those imposed by COVID- 19.
In addition to their responses to COVID-19, social justice movements have forced museums to prioritize how they can better reflect and engage with their communities. These actions could modify the balance of space needs. Although already a feature of many recent museum expansions, physical spaces will emphasize a greater sense of welcome and community, which can be expressed by emphasizing flexible public spaces, transparency between interior and exterior and the principles of universal design.
The Gateway Arch Museum in Saint-Louis. Photo credit: Nic Lehoux
We have seen many and varied ideas for reopening museums, including some from cultural and entertainment venues like the Barbican Center in London. These ideas offer potential avenues for museums that go beyond the current baseline, which typically involves following state ordinances and guidelines and can lead to very generic solutions: reduced occupancy, for example. example, with a timed ticket office, timed outings and contactless tours throughout. These offer some level of short-term risk reduction, but they are figuratively and literally sanitized, creating a much more sterile cultural experience. Additionally, most museums do not offer food and in many cases no toilets or trash cans, and no group tours, which also highlights the existential challenges resulting from a purely out-of-the-way approach. short term: cafes and gift shops are vital sources of income for a large number of institutions, for example. How many can survive without these spaces?
At Buro Happold, our perspective is to work with museums to explore beyond that. We ask, “How can we provide additional and different means to help institutions reopen, and not just follow prescriptive guidelines?” Indeed, for many museums (some of them are our clients), operating at lower normative occupancy rates, such as 25%, means an operational loss.
We don’t have all the answers, but we do have some analytics tools that can help address some of these challenges and increase visitor engagement. Instead of facing the prospect of reduced operational revenues, for example, we first help our clients by performing computer simulations of people movement analysis, which allows museum operators to see their specific spaces being used. . In some cases, these data-driven simulations show how spaces can allow entry to more people than the mandatory occupancy rates suggest, due to the spatial situations presented by the campus or building program. The results of the analysis could also provide additional scenarios, testing the benefits of changing the spatial organization of a facility. For example, the scenario study may consider adding more entrances or exits and may consider how staff will travel or assist visitors. At the same time, we have shown how museums can improve air quality through better HVAC and filtering systems and more outdoor air supply.
Screenshot of an analysis of the movement of people carried out on a museum building. Credit: Buro Happold
Armed with this data, we then study the bottlenecks, bottlenecks, and pinch points that museums share, such as entrances, queue areas, and exhibition access area. We are developing unique strategies for toilets, for example, to enable their use. For catering and cafes, we’re looking at ways all food can be eaten outdoors, which works for museums with the right environmental conditions. Likewise, these cultural places may have opportunities for temporary outdoor exhibitions, if their works of art and exhibitions can be properly protected. These temporary changes have other advantages, for example by offering patrons a change of pace from the usual museum experience.
We have found that museum directors and staff are interested in pushing the boundaries in this way, although of course they also face significant financial hurdles and staff issues during the COVID-recovery period. 19. Yet the cultural leaders who think most strategically about how to reopen have found unique ways to increase their income.
Dealing with the current situation is very difficult, so a well-thought-out strategic approach is vital now, especially as institutions are facing layoffs – in some cases 30-40% of their employees. The loss of tourism is a factor that reduces the number of visitors; the loss of business travel, which was hit the hardest, also plays a role, as business tourism also drives many museum visits. We are beginning to see a consolidation and, in some extreme cases, the closure of smaller museums that play a vital role in serving communities, cities and urban neighborhoods that need it most.
But the challenges could also inspire other solutions resulting from collaboration between large and small institutions to make art more accessible and fair. One example is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) collaboration with Charles White Elementary School, a gallery that brings art to a wider range of underserved communities in LA County. Could this decentralized approach support more communities interested in high quality shared cultural experiences? In today’s lifestyle of staying at home, people survive with the sufficiency of digital cultural experiences, but in public they can share the luxury of the same.
In any case, until 2020 and until 2021, we will continue to be involved in this learning process alongside cultural leaders. We will see variations from where we are today, but with space changes and careful planning, institutions can begin to reopen, which is the most essential first step.
The museum experience will be different from the pre-COVID era, and we will have to adapt. Finding ways to allow the public to interact with these spaces and their exhibits is crucial for survival, and using all the tools at our disposal will be essential. Cultural leaders are creative people, so we believe that by working together we will find innovative ways forward.
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As Covid-19 continues to disrupt the daily lives of people around the world, forcing many people to self-quarantine, we are compiling the best deals online from artists, museums and galleries. Whether you’re staying at home or your local museums and galleries have closed, here are some of the best digital initiatives to satisfy your creative urges.
Google Arts & Culture tours: international museums
Your first stop for online art tours and resources is definitely Google’s Arts & Culture platform: they have digital documentation of more than 1,200 international institutions. From virtual tours to high-definition images of works in the collections, you could waste hours on this site. You can search by artist Where periods of art history, or you can look at museums in a particular country or browse your region in the map view. Institutions included on the platform include big names like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence as well as smaller but highly regarded spaces like the Van Gogh Museum of ‘Amsterdam and the Calouste Gulbenkian. Museum in Lisbon.
A Google Street View of the Colosseum in Rome
Google Arts & Culture Tours: International Heritage
If heritage is more your thing, Google also offers a range of cultural sites that you can explore online through its street view. You can choose from bucket list locations like Pierre Henge, Machu pichu, the Coliseum and the pyramids, to name a few. If you’re looking for more than 360-degree views, the Arts & Culture platform recently launched the Heritage on the Edge project, which draws attention to five Unesco World Heritage sites threatened by climate change. The website and accompanying app include high-resolution 2D maps and 3D models, as well as accompanying text with information on threatened sites. There are also two “pocket galleries” on the app that allow users to explore a nine-domed mosque in Bangladesh and an ancient Portuguese fort on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, off the southern coast of Tanzania, thanks to augmented reality.
A screenshot of the visit to the Hermitage
A flash video of the Hermitage museum
Not related to the coronavirus epidemic but nevertheless fortuitously, this video is a five-hour cinematic journey through one of the world’s largest and most visited museums. While it comprehensively browses 45 galleries and 588 Russian Museum art pieces – with close-ups and panoramic views – as well as live performances, there is no audio or captions to explain . The film is actually a promo for the iPhone 11 Pro, but it offers an impressive walk through the awe-inspiring space nonetheless.
The Louvre offers a virtual tour of its Crypt of the Sphinx
The treasures of ancient Egypt from the Louvre Museum
The world’s most popular museum has a great online offering of ways to enjoy space without actually attending it. You can dive into three of the museum’s spaces thanks to virtual tours: you can “browse” its Wing of ancient Egypt and his pit (hidden in the basement), but the online visit of the Apollo Gallery is a bit lo-fi (it was made in 2004, do you believe). You can click on the exhibits for a close-up and basic information about the artwork.
A screenshot of the virtual tour of the lobby of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London
Painted Hall of the Former Royal Naval College
One of London’s best-kept secrets because it’s a bit outside the traditional tourist routes, the Painted Hall at Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich is spectacular. It reopened in March 2019 after a two-year renovation and this hi-tech 360-degree tour is a seamless online experience of what is described as “England’s Sistine Chapel”.
The website of the National Gallery of Victoria
Self-guided tours of the National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia has developed a very impressive Channel section on its website. From there, you can choose from nearly 20 well-done 360-degree tours of the collection and building or listen to discussions on art; watch videos about specific works and artists; or read a selection of digitized publications. One of the coolest features is the self-guided tours section where you can download a map of the gallery and then choose how to work through the spaces, either through guided “Slow Art” exercises focusing on specific works. or with artistic meditation sessions.
Many large exhibitions were forced to close earlier, were delayed, or were canceled altogether, and some museums were able to capture the shows digitally so they could still be experienced online. The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid showed Rembrandt and the portrait in Amsterdam, 1590-1670, when it was forced to close in March. Then launched an online tour of the show. Turin’s Castello di Rivoli had to close just after the launch of three new exhibitions, and it then published digital tours and related videos for the shows. Also in Turin, the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo announced new digital initiatives on its website and social media platforms. “While it is not possible to visit the Berlinde De Bruyckere exhibition in person, our series of daily stories posted on Instagram, Facebook and our website will make you feel like you are here,” the website states. from the gallery. The city of Galway in Ireland had planned a huge cultural program for its year as European Capital of Culture, but almost all events were canceled. They did, however, publish a video of Wild beauty by Finnish artist Kari Kola–one of the most spectacular outdoor lighting works ever to have flooded a five kilometer stretch of Connemara Mountain with shimmering emerald green and sapphire blue light.
An excerpt from Raphael’s 1520-1483 guided video visit to the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome
With the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, this year was to be a great celebration of the Old Master. One of the great celebratory shows was Raphael 1520-1483 at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome – it managed to reopen briefly after the lockdown, but it has been digitized forever in this guided video tour.
A screenshot of The Art Newspaper video on Artemisia Gentileschi at the National Gallery in London
One of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year is Artemisia Gentileschi at the National Gallery in London. Showcasing important works by the former female master, this is the gallery’s first major exhibition dedicated to a female artist in its 196-year history. The exhibition was delayed but finally opened on October 3. Due to the limited time tickets and the fact that only locals will now be able to see the show, The arts journal gathered a mini video tour and an in-depth podcast, with footage of all the works discussed, so those who can’t visit in person don’t miss the blockbuster.
Accessory 6, one of the works that artist Lauren Henkin has installed at the Cincinnati Arts Center in a new exhibition called Accessories. Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
The unveiling of Cincinnati Arts CenterThe building designed by Zaha Hadid in 2003 broke new ground on several fronts: it was the first museum project led by a woman architect in the United States, and Hadid’s first project in the United States. The build also marked an American iteration of the “Bilbao Effect,” drawing attention to a small Midwestern town through a party of upscale art and architecture. The $ 27.5 million tour de force transported Hadid to full capacity: it was a masterful orchestration of the mundane and the sublime within a body that was both welcoming and overwhelming, with 16,000 square feet of space. dedicated to exhibits in downtown Cincinnati.
The characteristic features of the deceased starch maker – eye-catching facades and rapid marriages of sharp, smooth walls – prevail throughout the building; However, Hadid’s most obvious gesture at the Cincinnati Art Center is spreading outdoors, in a way she has called “urban carpet.” By letting the lobby’s voluptuously curved interior wall extend to the sidewalk, Hadid aimed to bridge the gap between art inside and life outside, connecting the audience to a meeting that, in other museums, can be intimidating and uninviting. When the artist Lauren Henkin learned that three concrete markers on Hadid’s curved ‘urban mat’ were meant to keep skateboarders at bay, she also took note of a single pole placed inside, on the other side of the window of the museum, apparently aimless. His curiosity led him to Accessory 2, one of eight sculptural interventions the Maine artist installed on Hadid’s architectural work this month. The artist added seven other similar concrete shapes alongside the insulated stool inside to “complete an idea that turns into its final stage”.
Lauren Henkin, Accessory 2Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
These pieces, which Henkin commissioned from local manufacturing studios, are all part of his latest exhibit, which opened on November 22 and will run through March at the museum. Title Accessories, the exhibit deploys industrial materials commonly used in construction, such as concrete, steel, and PVC, and activates areas of the museum that were previously dormant, unusable for the art exhibit. “During my studies, the emphasis was on conceptual ideas, around sculptural architecture, rather than concerns about the location of bathrooms,” says the artist. Metropolis. In Cincinnati, Hadid’s mix of exhibits and operational sites in the museum prompted Henkin, who studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, to reflect on how art and architecture can challenge and complement each other, while the public, as art spectator, navigate between these two ubiquitous visual forces.
“The project challenges the idea of where to expect to find art in a museum, while also incorporating the museum itself,” says the artist, who intentionally placed the art in spaces used for traffic, public engagement and even washrooms. Henkin’s interventions both embellish and criticize the various architectural forms of the building, which the artist describes as “breaking the formality of the building”. Hadid’s presence is arguably more evident in the long black steel staircase that guides visitors to the exhibition floors, and the artist’s gesture on Hadid is here Accessory 5, a dramatic arrangement of wooden beams and slabs that appear to be on the verge of collapsing, contrasting with the rigid and secure formation of their surroundings. Accessory 6 is a jumble of double-sided Henkin mirrors placed on a slanted central ceiling, visible only from two stair landings. The reflective quality of the mirrors creates opportunities for viewers to communicate with both the space and the artwork – “with and against the concept of Hadid,” according to the artist.
Lauren Henkin, Accessory 8Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
Courtesy of Jeremy Kramer Photography
When it came to placing work in the bathrooms, Henkin – a female artist – had thought she would limit herself to the female restroom. When the curator of the exhibition Steven Matijcio offered her the opportunity to take an interest in men, she decided to insert an organic and “feminine” honeycomb sculpture in aluminum and polyacrylic, Prop 8, to subvert the austere and clinical atmosphere of the room. Inside the women’s room, a grid of PVC pipes, Accessory 4, hangs from a blank white wall that echoes both a pristine gallery corner and a construction in progress, merging industrial minimalism with elegant exhibition design.
In a building that Hadid has described as “the labyrinthine intricacy of spatial composition,” Henkin attempts to celebrate and shake up the intricacies of structure through the weight of sculpture and the subtlety of art. And in doing so, she engages her audience in an act of architectural interaction: “Activating these spaces beyond their intentions has given me the opportunity,” she says, “to challenge myself as an artist. trained in architecture in a museum of incredibly convincing architecture. “
You can also enjoy “Appalachian Craftsmen Tell Their Own Story in New Exhibit.“
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Over the past year, major museums have opened, such as the V&A Dundee in Scotland by Kengo Kuma, the Desert Rose National Museum of Qatar by Jean Nouvel and the James Simon Galerie in Berlin by David Chipperfield. Long-awaited projects that have been made famous not only by their design by big names on the international architectural scene, or their inclusion in major international competitions, but also by their status as emblematic buildings that could create the “Bilbao effect” in other cities. 2019 also marks an important anniversary, namely the 60th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, a true icon of world architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. On the Made in Italy side, the last few months have seen the opening ofMuseum of Italian Design at the Triennale di Milano and the Iris Ceramica Group Museum, the only example of a company museum dedicated to ceramic wall tiles in Italy. Open on May 23, 2019, Iris Ceramica Group Museum was designed by Zone 17 architecture office as part of the redevelopment of the historic headquarters of the holding company in Fiorano Modenese. The museum is part of the Museimpresa network, the Italian association of business museums and archives, and tells the story of a great Italian company, one of values and progress that does an excellent job of representing the industrious district of ceramics for architecture, an important Made in Italy.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the first museum in the network of Guggenheim museums scattered around the world is approaching its sixtieth birthday, but it would be unfair not to add that it does not look like it. A true masterpiece of world architecture designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and opened posthumously on October 21, 1959, a few months after the death of its creator and 10 years after that of the client who commissioned it, Solomon R. Guggenheim. A series of events and exhibitions spread throughout the year celebrate the sixty years of this iconic giant of modern architecture. An architecture that was not immediately praised, but which has stood the test of time by continuing to be a source of inspiration for entire generations of architects.
September 15, V&A Dundee, Scotland’s premier design museum, will celebrate its first year since opening its doors. An iconic building inspired by the Scottish cliffs, according to its designer, the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The design derives its iconic strength from the site itself, having been built in a unique location between the water and the city, and representing the restoration of the relationship between Dundee and its maritime history, which is linked to the River Tay.
On March 28, the new Qatar National Museum, designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, has been officially opened. A building inspired by the desert rose, a natural mineral formation typical of the region of Qatar. The new building surrounds the historic palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, a national monument and one of the most beloved symbols of the people of Qatar, which becomes the final and culminating element of an immersive journey through the exhibition. The museum allows visitors to travel through the history of Qatar, through a successful combination of architectural space and experiences that engage the senses with music, poetry, oral histories and evocative aromas.
July 13, 2019 James Simon Gallery, conceived by David Chipperfield Architects, was inaugurated. An architecture that plays a dual role, the building serves as the central entrance to Berlin’s Museum Island (Museumsinsel) and fulfills a series of functions that are necessary for the entire museum system of the island. As a place, it reorganizes the Museum Island’s relationship with the city and accessibility, reconnecting threads interrupted by the destruction of WWII and creating new spatial connections and relationships.
Over the past year, great museums have opened, such as the V&A Dundee in Scotland by Kengo Kuma, the Desert Rose National Museum of Qatar by Jean Nouvel and the James Simon Galerie in Berlin by David Chipperfield. Long-awaited projects that have been made famous not only by their design by big names on the international architectural scene, or their inclusion in major international competitions, but also by their status as emblematic buildings that could create the “Bilbao effect” in other cities. 2019 also marks an important anniversary, namely the 60th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, a true icon of world architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. On the Made in Italy side, the last few months have seen the opening ofMuseum of Italian Design at the Triennale di Milano and the Iris Ceramica Group Museum, the only example of a company museum dedicated to ceramic wall tiles in Italy. Open on May 23, 2019, Iris Ceramica Group Museum was designed by Zone 17 architecture office as part of the redevelopment of the historic headquarters of the holding company in Fiorano Modenese. The museum is part of the Museimpresa network, the Italian association of business museums and archives, and tells the story of a great Italian company, one of values and progress that does an excellent job of representing the industrious district of ceramics for architecture, an important Made in Italy.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the first museum in the network of Guggenheim museums scattered around the world is approaching its sixtieth birthday, but it would be unfair not to add that it does not look like it. A true masterpiece of world architecture designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and opened posthumously on October 21, 1959, a few months after the death of its creator and 10 years after that of the client who commissioned it, Solomon R. Guggenheim. A series of events and exhibitions spread throughout the year celebrate the sixty years of this iconic giant of modern architecture. An architecture that was not immediately praised, but which has stood the test of time by continuing to be a source of inspiration for entire generations of architects.
September 15, V&A Dundee, Scotland’s premier design museum, will celebrate its first year since opening its doors. An iconic building inspired by the Scottish cliffs, according to its designer, the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The design derives its iconic strength from the site itself, having been built in a unique location between the water and the city, and representing the restoration of the relationship between Dundee and its maritime history, which is linked to the River Tay.
On March 28, the new Qatar National Museum, designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, has been officially opened. A building inspired by the desert rose, a natural mineral formation typical of the region of Qatar. The new building surrounds the historic palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, a national monument and one of the most beloved symbols of the people of Qatar, which becomes the final and culminating element of an immersive journey through the exhibition. The museum allows visitors to travel through the history of Qatar, through a successful combination of architectural space and experiences that engage the senses with music, poetry, oral histories and evocative aromas.
July 13, 2019 James Simon Gallery, conceived by David Chipperfield Architects, was inaugurated. An architecture that plays a dual role, the building serves as the central entrance to Berlin’s Museum Island (Museumsinsel) and fulfills a series of functions that are necessary for the entire museum system of the island. As a place, it reorganizes the Museum Island’s relationship with the city and accessibility, reconnecting threads interrupted by the destruction of WWII and creating new spatial connections and relationships.
Palace documents the country’s history in an innovative style: Official
His Highness Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives a souvenir from the Head of Finance and Administrative Affairs of Admiri Diwan Abdulaziz Ishaq, in the presence of His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah and the Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem
KOWET: His Highness the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday inaugurated the “Salam Palace” museum. Upon his arrival at the scene, His Highness was received by Amiri Diwan’s Minister of Affairs, Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, as well as by Abdulaziz Ishaq, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Amiri Diwan and Chairman of the Executive committee for creation and management. Cultural Centers. The ceremony was also attended by His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem and His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, in addition to a host of senior state officials. After a speech by Minister of Affairs Amiri Diwan, His Highness visited the museum, where he was briefed on its main sections and facilities before leaving the equally warmly welcomed site.
Innovative styling The “Salam Palace” museum is a cultural edifice that documents the history of Kuwait in an innovative style, Ishaq said, adding that this unique building houses a collection of rare artifacts and preserves Kuwait’s national cultural heritage. The museum has been designed to accommodate the modern generation equipped with the latest technological display methods to present the visitor with the history of Kuwait and the civilizations it has known in a creative and innovative way, without any dazzling pleasure, a he clarified. The palace, which holds great historical and national value in the hearts of the rulers and people of Kuwait, has been rehabilitated on the instruction of His Highness the Amir into a museum that documents the country’s history, Ishaq said. The reconstruction process is part of the concept of new cultural and historical dimensions by transforming it into a museum comparable to the most beautiful and prestigious international museums. It consists of four floors (basement – ground floor – first – second), where the basement includes an electronic library connected to the central library of Amiri Diwan, as well as dedicated research areas. scientific and personnel offices, storage and service rooms, as well as others. .
The ground floor is located on Jamal Abdelnasser Street with a VIP entrance overlooking the Arabian Gulf Road. It also includes exhibition halls for “the history of the palace” which reflects the original construction of the palace, as well as dignitaries who visited and stayed there. The first floor contains the museum (the history of Kuwait through its rulers), which includes nine rooms that tell the story of Kuwait since its inception, with the most significant achievements made during the history of the 15 rulers of the Kuwait, with an exhibition of their collectibles and personal items. The second floor includes reception areas, a banquet hall and a central kitchen. The Palace is divided into three main sections; the Kuwait History Museum through its rulers, the Peace Palace History Museum and the Museum of the civilizations that inhabited the land of Kuwait. Ishaq pointed out other sections that have been developed to serve the museum, including a special suite for receiving senior state guests, a digital library, teaching rooms for students, and a “courtyard” with several parking lots.
The history of the building Construction of the property, which was the private residence of late Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, began in the late 1950s. In 1960, basic construction of the palace began, coinciding with Kuwait’s independence in 1961. At the time, Kuwait needed a guesthouse for officials visiting the country and a place to hold state-level meetings and international discussions.
Ownership of the Palace transferred to the State, and converted into a guesthouse under the supervision of the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; at the time Minister of Finance. The palace received its first visitor in 1964, then began to receive kings, emperors and officials who reached 166. In 2013, Sheikha Mona Al-Jaber Al-Sabah proposed, after 23 years of neglect, to the minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs. , Chairman of the Higher Committee of Cultural Centers, to create a museum that combines the history of Kuwait for the first time and which is kept under one roof. The reconstruction process lasted nearly six years, which will testify to Kuwait’s 300-year undocumented history. – KUNA
