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Present: Matthew Bronski, Bill Chase, Marilyn Fenollosa, Allan Galper, John Hecker, David Kelman, David King, Ellen Lipsey, Jeanne Van Orman, Doug Manley, Brian Roche, Deane Rykerson, Susan Schur, Malcolm Smiley, Jay Stanbury, Sara Wermiel In Henry Moss's absence (he, and no doubt several other members of the HRC, was attending the APTI meeting in Atlanta), Matthew Bronski chaired the meeting. 1. Transforming our cities: Brooklyn Museum's new entrance and new plaza: Jeanne Van Orman, planner and architectural historian, and Principal in her firm Places, made a presentation about the new entry and plaza of the Brooklyn Museum (2004, Polshek Partnership Architects). Jeanne has been looking around the country for examples of spaces that can serve as good models of transit-oriented development (TOD). TOD implies a high level of density around transit stations. Jeanne felt that the new entry and plaza of the Brooklyn Museum brought together a historic structure (designed by McKim, Mead & White), neighborhood, visitors, and a transit station in a successful way. The new entry is an entirely contemporary, wide, glass roof that extends from the front of the central pavilion of the historic building and forms a shelter for the main entrance. This old museum itself, a symmetrical Beaux-Arts pile, was built over many years, beginning in 1895; the central pavilion, facing Eastern Parkway, was completed in 1905, and other sections were added later. In order to accommodate an auditorium in the basement of the central pavilion, the building's main floor was raised 5 feet and this in turn required that the monumental stairway on the front on the building be made much larger than MM&W originally designed. Demolition of the steps was approved in 1934, partly in order to create a more direct entry to the building, and the space that had been occupied by steps became a street. This street has been reclaimed by the museum and now serves as a plaza around the new entry, intended to be welcoming and accommodate more visitors and guide them to the museum entrance. The plaza includes a fountain, grassy terraces leading down to the entrance, and masonry bleachers on the side. The design is asymmetrical, with curving lines, in contrast to the symmetrical, mostly rectilinear historic building. Jeanne believes the plaza is a successful community gathering place; she observes that people hang out on the bleachers, children play in the fountain, PC users catch the wi-fi, and people walk dogs on the grassy area. Overall, HRC members did not agree that the plaza was a successful design. Jay Stanbury pointed out that the slope down to the entrance created a pit and noted that William White found that people don't like pits. Two spaces in Boston, Copley Plaza and City Hall Plaza, once had unsuccessful public pits, both of which have been de-pitted. Jeanne said that people do use the sloping part of the plaza; she thinks the gradualness of the transitions between spaces makes the plaza inviting. Ellen Lipsey speculated that the activity in the area, since the sloping part leads to the entry, may account for why people feel comfortable there. What people dislike is isolated pits, and this one is active. Susan Schur noted that the museum has increased its attendance and that is what makes the plaza lively: the museum has become a destination. In reply to a question from Malcolm Smiley, Jeanne said the plaza was on the north side of the building and acknowledged that it isn't used in winter. David King noted that the new entry doesn't give visitors views of the surrounding area, as the high staircase once did. There is a walkway around the edge of the new roof, but Jeanne says few people use it. Matthew Bronski was troubled about the design of the entry. He said that if a historic commission were to review this entry design, two concerns were likely be raised: 1. could the entry be designed so that users would have the experience McKim, Mead & White intended, and 2. could the new entrance be symmetrical, to make it more in sync with the form (strongly symmetrical) of the historic building? The new entry was unlike like the glass pyramid entry at the Louvre, because the pyramid does not touch any of the historic buildings, unlike the Brooklyn Museum entry, which is attached to and covers part of the building. Dean Rykerson questioned whether the entry actually united the historic building and the city. Rather, he felt the plaza was disconnected from the building. Susan Schur agreed with this; the plaza seemed to be a separate structure, and because of the contrast between the two, instead of making the building more inviting, actually made the original building more forbidding. She noted that several museums have monumental entry stairways and even difficult access, but that doesn't discourage visitors if the exhibits are appealing. Jeanne said the city museum has programs and exhibits that appeal to neighborhood residents, so local people do use the building. This discussion led Jay Stanbury to ask if the design was a building entrance or a public space. He felt it might be a successful public space, but not a successful entrance. John Hecker recommended rebuilding the original stairs and then launched into a rapturous description of Millennium Park in Chicago, which he felt was a truly successful urban park. 2. Prospects for H. H. Richardson's House in Brookline darken: Allan Galper reported that the house has been on the market with preservation restrictions, but so far no one has bought it. If it isn't purchased soon, the owner will sell it without restrictions. For more information, contact Allan Galper (new email address: agalper@mccarter.com). 3. Upcoming events and news
4. Letter from New Orleans: Bill Barry writes from humid New Orleans, "What a great place. Resilient people, making amazing progress toward a recovery long in coming and so much longer to go. A year later, a lot has happened, but so much has not. The void in political leadership remains - so unfortunate, and at all levels. There is progress and now, finally, planning. As a friend calls it, planning anarchy." Bill invites people to attend the session he will lead at BuildBoston, A28: "Heritage at Risk - New Orleans & the Gulf Coast" (Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1:00-4:30). The session will feature several key figures from the Gulf South along with David Dixon and John Wathne representing the numerous New England professionals active in the recovery process. Bill says the session "will be informative as well as interactive." 8: 00 a.m., Thursday, 12 October 2006 The Architects' Building, 52 Broad Street, Boston, fifth floor Featuring David Fixler "Historically respectful repair and improvement of Modern buildings"
Henry Moss, Matthew Bronski, and Sara Wermiel co-leaders and scribes
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