La Grande Vitesse ("The Calder")

[mejane]

This thread just makes me so sad. Except for educated comments from

Greedo, the thoughts expressed here, indeed, even the need for the

thread, proves once again why cutting art and music from school budgets

is so tragic. The process of creativity helps form notions of personal

identity. Thinking creatively affects the formation of logic and goes a

long way toward solving problems in many and varied work environments.

And, when you engage yourself in a creative art or music making

endeavor, you begin to understand and appreciate what 'The Great Ones'

did. If you really want to understand La Grande Vitesse, do some

reading online about Sandy Calder, then, on a warm day (because the

wind sweeps over that plaza like no other place downtown), go stand

under the sculpture, spend some time with it, view it from different

angles, get to know it, and then you will begin to understand its beauty.

[snoogit]

Calder is a wonderful landmark for the city no doubt, but unfortunately the landmark isnt enhanced with the City Hall/Vandenburg Center in its current configuration is all people are saying. Ever caulder work seems to have a plaza associated with it, which is good, thats the original intent of the piece. But those plazas are usually surrounded by the sights and sounds of urbanism

It just seems so empty there now is all people are saying.

[Greedo]

Perhaps I'm an art history heretic, but I think the Calder red would look much better against shimmering blue, than against the current sooty-brown.

It's not heresy, we just need to understand the context. La Grande Vitesse stands out so prominently at it's location because of the dull black/dark brown color of the city and county buildings.

We have to consider the whole plaza, including the buildings and the sculpture, as a single physical entity. The stabile is THE central focal point, a powerful presence that visually and spatially organizes the space. Additionally, the sculpture provides a sense of humanity to the surrounding architecture, which I know is considered ugly, brutal and inhumane. It also functions as a the identifying marker for the plaza, which would just be an obscure concrete slab if it wasn't for the art standing there.

Regarding its shape compared to other works by the artist, La Grande Vitesse is definitely significant in size, it's shape is flowing and dramatic, obviously to evoke the Grand River. It's incredibly heavy, but so nimble, gently gracing the surface of the plaza. C'est magnifique!

[Prankster]

It's not heresy, we just need to understand the context. La Grande Vitesse stands out so prominently at it's location because of the dull black/dark brown color of the city and county buildings.

We have to consider the whole plaza, including the buildings and the sculpture, as a single physical entity. The stabile is THE central focal point, a powerful presence that visually and spatially organizes the space. Additionally, the sculpture provides a sense of humanity to the surrounding architecture, which I know is considered ugly, brutal and inhumane. It also functions as a the identifying marker for the plaza, which would just be an obscure concrete slab if it wasn't for the art standing there.

Regarding its shape compared to other works by the artist, La Grande Vitesse is definitely significant in size, it's shape is flowing and dramatic, obviously to evoke the Grand River. It's incredibly heavy, but so nimble, gently gracing the surface of the plaza. C'est magnifique!

Wow, I am so artistically illiterate. I just see a big red interesting piece of metal surrounded by a barren plaza and short little buildings. Oh well, no one ever accused me of having much imagination.

[AlexPKeaton]

I agree that a lot could be done with the plaza without touching the City and County buildings. First, that stone wall on Monroe has to go. What a great place to put storefronts built into the side of the underground parking. The plaza would still remain on top. Second the Federal building and the other buildings besides the City and County buildings should definitely go. Something a bit more active should take their place to keep people in the plaza.

While I don't think the City and County buildings are particularly beautiful, they're less ugly than the Federal building, and the Calder does work well with them in the background. That hotel idea, while a nice looking development, would not compliment the Calder at all. If that were to go through why keep the Calder there at all?

-nb

[andrew.w]

I have a small request:

Could someone label a satelite map of the buildings around and across the street from the plaza? I know what all of them look like, but don't remember the names to any but the city/county and Fifth Third (and Grand Rapids Press if that is counted in the plaza area).

Thanks

[Greedo]

Check out the link below. The city has an interactive map detailing the downtown area. Hold your cursor over a red dot and it tells you the name of the building.

Calder Plaza Map

[andrew.w]

Check out the link below. The city has an interactive map detailing the downtown area. Hold your cursor over a red dot and it tells you the name of the building.

Calder Plaza Map

Thank You I didn't realize that map existed.

[NorthCoast]

Calder is a wonderful landmark for the city no doubt, but unfortunately the landmark isnt enhanced with the City Hall/Vandenburg Center in its current configuration is all people are saying. Ever caulder work seems to have a plaza associated with it, which is good, thats the original intent of the piece. But those plazas are usually surrounded by the sights and sounds of urbanism

It just seems so empty there now is all people are saying.

I guess thats the opinion I was trying to convey earlier. It has nothing to do so much with artistic appreciation as it does with the area around the sculpture.

[Greedo]

Thank You I didn't realize that map existed.

No sweat. The city has all KINDS of rich mappy goodness available.

[Greedo]

I guess thats the opinion I was trying to convey earlier. It has nothing to do so much with artistic appreciation as it does with the area around the sculpture.

But to my point, the area around the sculpture is as important as the piece itself. You can see in the image, the plaza gives the sculpture space to breath, and its contrast with snoozerville government buildings make it seem alive. Move it anywhere else, or change it's context and it loses it's appeal.

To note: I would support anything being built on the 5/3 parking ramp. And the suggestion to put street-level retail along Monroe (below the DiSuvero swing, aka Motu Viget) is a great idea.

[buzzkill]

Oh, it's no Starr Wyndere.

[NorthCoast]

But to my point, the area around the sculpture is as important as the piece itself. You can see in the image, the plaza gives the sculpture space to breath, and its contrast with snoozerville government buildings make it seem alive. Move it anywhere else, or change it's context and it loses it's appeal.

To note: I would support anything being built on the 5/3 parking ramp. And the suggestion to put street-level retail along Monroe (below the DiSuvero swing, aka Motu Viget) is a great idea.

I suppose in the end its nothing more than a matter of taste and perception.

[snoogit]

Thank You I didn't realize that map existed.

does anyone notice they already have phase 2 of the VAI already in place???

[MJLO]

I'm with prankster on this one, I think it looks like a big orange hunk of metal with little rivets all over it. I understand the importance of it. But I have always been a critic of the poor judgement used back in the 60's when planning Vandenburg Center. It seems to have taken what should be a cornerstone of our civic life, and city skyline, and forever cemented it in mediocrity.

[Greedo]

I suppose in the end its nothing more than a matter of taste and perception.

You're exactly right. We are talking about art, after all. But if nothing else, we should all be able to recognize it's importance to the community, and how it placed GR on the National arts scene.

[Rizzo]

nevermind... wrong thread

[andrew.w]

does anyone notice they already have phase 2 of the VAI already in place???

Yes I did, and its even a bit of an older map with Monroe Place marked as pedestrian mall. Is/was the city just anticipating the expansion, or was the original plan to build it as one peice?

[eagle]

I love the Calder and consider it very important to the city. While I certainly don't "know" art I think it is a beautiful piece of artwork that I could stare at for a long time.

I wish the whole plaza could be helped. I'm sure I don't understand the significance of the rest of the plaza but the way I see it now it's completely seperated from any of the life of downtown and is, basically, ugly. All the tourists that we work so hard to attract to this city see when hanging out around the Grand Plaza or the DeVos place is a big, ugly, stone wall. There's no way to even now there's a beautful piece of artwork up there.

Couldn't we still have a significant piece of artwork but rebuild the plaza and the buildings surrounding it? Maybe that's not how Calder originally designed it but does that mean we're stuck with an ugly plaza, and ugly buildings forever?

[Greedo]

I gotta agree with the fact that the stone wall facing DeVos Place is grotesque, and the scary tunnel/janky stairwell leading to the hidden information center and plaza really needs to be reworked--storefronts, cafe, someplace for conventioners to go.

Making a more inviting path to the di Suvero swing would be ideal also. But the buildings, as ugly as they may be, interact with the sculpture.

Ideal situation is to rebuild the Federal Center and build a tower at the 5/3 surface lot/ramp.

[grcitydog]

I agree. I hadn't realized how hideous Monroe looked until I was in the DeVos Place looking out and all I could see was a cold stone wall! I tried to imagine what my thoughts would have been had I been a visitor at a convention and wanted to check out the town. Nothing could be more hostile than the Monroe canyon. I certainly hope something gets reworked in that area so people can really see what we have to offer.

[Prankster]

Ideal situation is to rebuild the Federal Center and build a tower at the 5/3 surface lot/ramp.

Serious question, and realize I am not the artistic type, but wouldn't that take away from the calder if buildings were overshadowing it?

[NorthCoast]

Serious question, and realize I am not the artistic type, but wouldn't that take away from the calder if buildings were overshadowing it?

I don't think so. Consider the picture below of Cincinnati's Tyler Davidson Fountain...

Of course it is a fountain and not a statue but I think it works quite well within the urban environment.

[andrew.w]

I gotta agree with the fact that the stone wall facing DeVos Place is grotesque, and the scary tunnel/janky stairwell leading to the hidden information center and plaza really needs to be reworked--storefronts, cafe, someplace for conventioners to go.

Making a more inviting path to the di Suvero swing would be ideal also. But the buildings, as ugly as they may be, interact with the sculpture.

Ideal situation is to rebuild the Federal Center and build a tower at the 5/3 surface lot/ramp.

This is exactly the list I had thought of for improvements.

And Prankster, if the building was kept a respectable distance from the actual sculpture and designed with relation to the sculpture in mind, I don't think that there would be a problem of taking away from it. A new tower would make the plaza seem more closed in and urban, and if it were ringed by areas that attract activity, the plaza might actually see more activity as well.

[Prankster]

This is exactly the list I had thought of for improvements.

And Prankster, if the building was kept a respectable distance from the actual sculpture and designed with relation to the sculpture in mind, I don't think that there would be a problem of taking away from it. A new tower would make the plaza seem more closed in and urban, and if it were ringed by areas that attract activity, the plaza might actually see more activity as well.

But along with that vein of thinking, why wouldn't new buildings where the city/county complex also work? As long as they are kept in the context of the buildings currently there, albeit taller, would that also work?