The Milwaukee Art Museum addition, the Quadracci Pavilion, is Calatrava's first U.S. built building project. Completed in 2001, this design has introduced many Americans to the beauty of his designs, and has opened the door for future U.S. projects, such as the recently announced Atlanta Symphony Center. The design was such a smashing success, in fact, that Time Magazine named it the #1 design of 2001, a list which included not only buildings, but furniture, cars, fashion, and even movies (Moulin Rouge).
The museum addition was conceived of as a work of art in which more works of art reside. Built right on the edge of Lake Michigan, the building's form calls to mind images of boats and birds, and easily complements the natural setting in which it is placed.
One of the most striking features of the museum is the Brise Soleil, a sunscreen that is raised and lowered throughout the day to provide shade to the interior of the museum, but also to create a truly amazing urban sculpture.
There has been much made of the cost of the project, with many people indicating that Calatrava's designs are prohibitively expensive to implement. Critics point to the fact that the Milwaukee Art Museum's budget increased from $35 at the start of the project, to nearly $120 million by its completion; a nearly 345% increase! As a result, the museum has found themselves in financial trouble, and is struggling somewhat to recover the costs.
However, the Milwaukee Art Museum spokespeople have stated that the cost increases were brought on by a desire on their part to do more, not because of rampant "scope creep" or unexpected costs in construction of the building. If anything, the initial excitement of what Calatrava could bring to their project made them bite off potentially more than they could chew.
Similar troubles have besieged many other U.S. projects, such as the proposed five Trinity River bridges in Dallas, Texas. For cities and organizations that are aware of the extraordinary benefits to creating such masterpieces, the extra costs are a small price. But it is certainly clear that a Calatrava-designed building or bridge is not right for everyone, and people beginning a Calatrava project need to be aware of what they are doing when they get started
Length: 439.6 ft (134.0 m)
Width: 121.4 ft (37.0 m)
Roof Height: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Soleil Mast Height: 144.4 ft (44.0 m)
The museum addition was conceived of as a work of art in which more works of art reside. Built right on the edge of Lake Michigan, the building's form calls to mind images of boats and birds, and easily complements the natural setting in which it is placed.
One of the most striking features of the museum is the Brise Soleil, a sunscreen that is raised and lowered throughout the day to provide shade to the interior of the museum, but also to create a truly amazing urban sculpture.
There has been much made of the cost of the project, with many people indicating that Calatrava's designs are prohibitively expensive to implement. Critics point to the fact that the Milwaukee Art Museum's budget increased from $35 at the start of the project, to nearly $120 million by its completion; a nearly 345% increase! As a result, the museum has found themselves in financial trouble, and is struggling somewhat to recover the costs.
However, the Milwaukee Art Museum spokespeople have stated that the cost increases were brought on by a desire on their part to do more, not because of rampant "scope creep" or unexpected costs in construction of the building. If anything, the initial excitement of what Calatrava could bring to their project made them bite off potentially more than they could chew.
Similar troubles have besieged many other U.S. projects, such as the proposed five Trinity River bridges in Dallas, Texas. For cities and organizations that are aware of the extraordinary benefits to creating such masterpieces, the extra costs are a small price. But it is certainly clear that a Calatrava-designed building or bridge is not right for everyone, and people beginning a Calatrava project need to be aware of what they are doing when they get started
Length: 439.6 ft (134.0 m)
Width: 121.4 ft (37.0 m)
Roof Height: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Soleil Mast Height: 144.4 ft (44.0 m)
