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New Performing Arts Center Rumors


GRDadof3

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DeVos Hall was built explicitly for the GRSymphony. The BTG came online later.

For the GRS to build a new Symphony Centre they would have to rewrite the stated purpose for DH and risk offending the lead donor.

Isn't the lead donor also on the Grand Action Committee? If a new venue were to be constructed the Grand Action Committee would probably head it up and would have the support or advice of the lead donor from an early start.

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Isn't the lead donor also on the Grand Action Committee?

The son formed the GAC, not the father, who donated the $$ for DeVos Hall. When the convention center was renovated, DeVos Hall was officially renamed DeVos Symphony Hall.

I'm all for a new PAC, I'm just saying moving the Symphony isn't as easy as it sounds.

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I think the GR Sympphony would be better off in a new PAC. I've been to one of their performances at Devos Performance Hall. That was well before the convention center was built. The acoustics in the place are very dry. There's very little reverbaration time which makes for a very thin sound. So unless the performance hall itself was updated to more modern standards since I was in there last, a new state of the art PAC would be a huge help for the symphony.

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Back in the earlier discussions on this, Harvey Gainey showed a strong interest in helping spearhead a new PAC.

I think of the three sites mentioned earlier, the current county building site would be perfect. Break up that stone wall, and have a multi-story glass atrium/reception area overlooking Calder Plaza. Place the main performing hall in the center with two smaller theaters on the West and East ends for smaller shows.

256655665_f43ec5cdd8.jpg

Go wild!

450PerformingArtsCenter_mil.jpg

This one looks like it's built right into our stone wall. :huh:

miniaci_bldg.jpg

More

UC-Davis.jpg

maiyc_Holland-Performing-Ar.jpg

KansasCityPACSafdieModel.jpg

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Back in the earlier discussions on this, Harvey Gainey showed a strong interest in helping spearhead a new PAC.

I think of the three sites mentioned earlier, the current county building site would be perfect. Break up that stone wall, and have a multi-story glass atrium/reception area overlooking Calder Plaza. Place the main performing hall in the center with two smaller theaters on the West and East ends for smaller shows.

256655665_f43ec5cdd8.jpg

Go wild!

450PerformingArtsCenter_mil.jpg

This one looks like it's built right into our stone wall. :huh:

miniaci_bldg.jpg

More

UC-Davis.jpg

maiyc_Holland-Performing-Ar.jpg

KansasCityPACSafdieModel.jpg

GR Dad,

I love the idea of locating a new PAC where the county building is at now. It would align with the main entry of the convention center complex. Spend a day at a convention and spend an evening listening to the GR Symphony. Awsome. But a challenge would be presented by the removal of the county building to make way for a new PAC. City Hall and the county building where design and built together and thus in many eyes form the complete architectual picture. Added to that is Calder's stabile adorning the plaza which after some researching I did I've learned was designed with context in mind. In essence, the stabile and both the City and County buildings as well as the plaza are artistically interalated. Thus changing the context sorrounding the stabile would threaten to hamper of the piece's artistic value. As much as I'm not too keen of that whole area visually, as an artist I can see how all three structures and the plaza relate to each other. Therefore should the county building be replaced by a new PAC or something else, the architect to design the project would face the challange of maintaining the artistic value of the stabile, do somthing to compliment City Hall should it remain unaffected by such a project, all while producing somthing out of the box and eye catching that new PAC's are expected to be.

I'm currently working on some sketchup files of a reconfigured city hall area. I'll see if I can design a cool looking PAC in place of of the county building the meets the artistic needs of the stabile, compliments city hall and be just as wild as some of the images you've posted.

Edited by tamias6
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I think the GR Sympphony would be better off in a new PAC. I've been to one of their performances at Devos Performance Hall. That was well before the convention center was built. The acoustics in the place are very dry. There's very little reverbaration time which makes for a very thin sound. So unless the performance hall itself was updated to more modern standards since I was in there last, a new state of the art PAC would be a huge help for the symphony.

The issue is one of scheduling, not acoustics. The acoustics at Devos Hall are good, if not great. And yes, the performance hall was renovated a couple years ago.

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GR Dad,

I love the idea of locating a new PAC where the county building is at now.

BTW, the county building site was not my idea. :blush: It was mentioned in the Business Journal article above as a possible "rumored" site for a new PAC. I think you're overestimating the value of the county building as it relates to the rest of the plaza. I would think if a bunch of city benefactors (Gainey, Wege, Meijer, etc.) wanted it there, it would go there without even a whimper from the City or the HPC, in contrast to the opposition given to Buchanan's hotel project. The county also now owns land along the river just North of I-196, so they could build new and move, or possibly consolidate into 82 Ionia that they now own.

Imagine the difference it would make if there were such a building as I pictured it, as visitors came into downtown on Ottawa. Right now, you could easily miss Calder Plaza if you aren't looking in that direction. Put a new strikingly designed Center for the Performing Arts there, and it would drastically change the look and feel of that area. We shall see. Apparently next Spring is when we should hear more from Grand Action. Let's hope it's sooner.

tamias, if you draw up a rendering, please no more waves!! :thumbsup: And no plain rectangular boxes. We have plenty of those in that area as well.

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Instead of the County Bldg, why not the Federal Bldg? It's even more hideous and doesn't have a priceless Calder mural on top to destroy.

Better yet, tear down the snoozerville Frey Building across the street.

Even more better, why not used the vacant lot next to the 5/3 Building?

Crap, even bestest everest idea, put it out in the flippin' boondocks nextdoor to the ballet's new building. YEAH!

Edited by Greedo
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Instead of the County Bldg, why not the Federal Bldg? It's even more hideous and doesn't have a priceless Calder mural on top to destroy.

Better yet, tear down the snoozerville Frey Building across the street.

Even more better, why not used the vacant lot next to the 5/3 Building?

Crap, even bestest everest idea, put it out in the flippin' boondocks nextdoor to the ballet's new building. YEAH!

the boondocks?

The calder would not be torn down if the PAC is built on the county's site (see GRdad's first pic)

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I'm not sure about the red near the heart of the plaza. Reflecting red into red goes against the entire artistic theme of the plaza. The red facing Monroe is a great idea though.

PAC4new2.jpg

there ya go. still red in the front, but the main color on that side (although is it easy to get a curved face like that if its not glass?)

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It's not priceless, and it's not something that was done by Calder. (We dis[cus]sed it a bit in another thread.)

Wrong.

The two buildings are located in a plaza that features the Alexander Calder stabile "La Grande Vitesse," which has become a symbol of the city. Calder designed the sculpture in 1969 to be viewed in its current location, against the backdrop of the two buildings. In 1974, Calder painted a mural on the roof of the County Building that can be seen from nearby buildings. The painting would be lost and the sculpture moved if the buildings are demolished.

The artistic integrity of this area would be lost if either of those buildings are destroyed. I still don't understand why we haven't learn from the mistakes of the past.

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I like the photo in the linked article. :thumbsup:

That entire block could be vastly improved without tearing down those two buildings. I don't know why the hotel proposal a while back involved the city and county buildings when the federal building really deserved to be torn down. Maybe it would be harder to convince the feds to move elsewhere?

-nb

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Wrong.

The artistic integrity of this area would be lost if either of those buildings are destroyed. I still don't understand why we haven't learn from the mistakes of the past.

Here is a little bit better explaination of the site

Maybe it would be harder to convince the feds to move elsewhere?

Bingo.

Edited by snoogit
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Maybe it would be harder to convince the feds to move elsewhere?

-nb

Like the post office the Gerald R Ford Federal Building is overcrowded, and is badly in need of replacement. It's apparently on the list, but not the short list. GR is not a high priority for the feds. I can't image that they would move, but if the Feds ever get the project off the ground I would suspect the building would double in floor space.

I like the idea of the PAC across from DeVos Place, but I have to say I also like the Calder Plaza the way it is (there I said it).

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I've always liked the City/County/Calder center as an art piece and believe it is a significant piece of architecture, but as a funtional civic structure, it stinks :sick: It takes up valuable land in the center of the city and is basically cold and uninviting to the pedestrian and visitor. The stone wall along Monroe is more a canyon than a streetscape and the plaza is cold and uninviting. In my opinion, a better use of land and more funtional use of space would be to put a PAC at street level along Monroe and build a denser and more urban friendly city/county building. The Calder could be incorporated into it somehow. Would we lose something, yes. But what we gain would be far better for the people of Grand Rapids.

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