Public invited to observe MSU’s Broad Art Museum architectural competition

Contact: Linda Stanford, Academic Services: (517) 355-5767, stanford@msu.edu; Mark Terman, University Development: (517) 884-1020, termans@msu.edu; or Lisa Mulcrone, University Relations: (517) 432-0922, cell (517) 285-1044, mulcron2@msu.edu

July 13, 2007

EAST LANSING, Mich. — As part of the next phase in the process to build a world-class art museum on the campus of Michigan State University, five internationally known architectural firms will make presentations on Wednesday, July 18, as part of the design competition for the planned Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

The introductions and presentations will run from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Pasant Theatre of the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

An eight-member jury will view each hour-long presentation and have 15 minutes to ask questions. The jurors are: Eli Broad, Edwin Chan, Michael Govan, Richard Koshalek, Cecil Mackey, Edward Minskoff, Dolores Wharton and Kate Pew Wolters. The jury will make recommendations to MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon for Board of Trustees approval. No decision will be made or announced on July 18.

The public is invited to observe the firms’ proposals and question and answer sessions during the day. Attendees are asked to enter and leave the theater only during breaks between presentations.

Construction of the museum, funded in part by a naming gift from the Broads and a significant gift from Edward and Julie (Chai) Minskoff, is expected to begin in the fall of 2008 and be completed by 2010.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for the MSU community to join President Lou Anna K. Simon, Provost Kim Wilcox and Vice President Fred Poston in viewing innovative architectural presentations for our new art museum building,” said Linda Stanford, art museum project manager. “It will be a memorable day – to join distinguished jurors in viewing proposals from five firms with worldwide reputations.”  

The following is the agenda for the presentations:

• 8 to 9:15 a.m. - COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, (Vienna and Los Angeles)
  Karolin Schmidbaur, partner, head of the Los Angeles office, senior design architect
  Angus Schoenberger, project architect

• 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. - Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC (New York)
  William Pedersen, FAIA, FAAR, principal
  Andrew Klare, project manager
  
  
• 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Zaha Hadid Architects (London)
  Patrik Schumacher, principal
  Nils Fischer, project director
  
  
• 1 to 2:15 p.m. - Randall Stout Architects Inc. (Los Angeles)
  Randall Stout, FAIA, design principal
  John Locke, project designer
  
  
• 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. - Morphosis (Santa Monica, Calif.)
  Thom Mayne, principal
  Andrew Batay-Csorba, architect

For more information about the architectural firms and the museum project, visit the Web at http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/artmuseum. For more information about the jurors, visit the Web at http://newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3124/content.htm.

(Editor’s note: Media should enter the Wharton Center through the main lobby doors. Because of the current production of “Wicked,” there will be no access to the backstage area. There will be a media section at the back of the Pasant Theatre behind the last row of seats. Due to the formal nature of the presentations, there will be no entrances or exits during each presentation, and cameras must remain in the media section. Architectural firm presenters will be available for comment in the Grand Foyer at Wharton following each individual presentation.

Renowned architect Joseph Giovannini, who is facilitating the competition, along with some of the jurors and university officials will be available to speak with the media from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 17, in the Red Cedar B at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.)

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