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The New GRAM. Love it or Hate it Poll

tamias6

By tamias6
in Grand Rapids

The new GRAM love it or hate it  

103 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your opinion of the new GRAM architecture

    • Yes! I love it!
      38
    • It's okey, I can live with it.
      32
    • Don't like it nor Hate it.
      9
    • Sorry. Its not my cup of tea.
      14
    • Good Grief! It's butt ugly!
      10

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bwindi25 Whistle-Stop

bwindi25

Posted
Posted

I ate my lunch down by the museum today with someone that saw some of the early, early plans for the building. He said that originally the large concrete roof suspended over the open space out front was going to be a translucent material with photovoltaic panels built in. He also said some of the original plans had a small amphitheater coming out where the administrative offices are now (paneled box on the right with the low windows). This would have created some interesting angles, etc. They were going to show outdoor films and such there. I will save the comments as to why he said these features were removed.

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hombre_de_ciudad Whistle-Stop

hombre_de_ciudad

Posted
Posted

That latest photo by GRDad is my favorite angle from which to view the building. I think that all the corners and lines on the building together with the contrast between the translucent glass lanterns (that have an almost ghostly quality) and the stark concrete surfaces make this a very interesting building to look at. One has to study it for a while to take it all in.

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  • 3 weeks later...
joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

Posted
Posted

Ok, after driving by the GRAM today I will give my final verdict. I love it. I'll give it a B+ / A- (just because I'm not usually into concrete). The Louvres still reveal the windows behind, it is interesting from almost every angle, and I think once they ad some art/landscaping to the outside it will be marvelous.

Unless they paint it Calder Red. Then I have the right to retract my "final verdict". :)

Joe

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eagle Whistle-Stop

eagle

Posted
Posted

Drove by it this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. After reading all the criticisms on this forum I was expecting something horrible.

I really liked the vast open space facing Rosa Parks circle....much larger than I expected.

I like it.

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mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

Posted
Posted

I see that the City of Akron Ohio, similar size to Grand Rapids, is set to open their new art museum this month after over three years of work. Interestingly, the current museum also like Grand Rapids, is housed in an old post office building; however, they decided to add their new building on to the old facility. That is an option that GRAM had discussed, but with limited land the idea was scrapped. Akron also went with a European firm, who has designed a decidedly modern building.

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torgo Town

torgo

Posted
Posted
I see that the City of Akron Ohio, similar size to Grand Rapids, is set to open their new art museum this month after over three years of work. Interestingly, the current museum also like Grand Rapids, is housed in an old post office building; however, they decided to add their new building on to the old facility. That is an option that GRAM had discussed, but with limited land the idea was scrapped. Akron also went with a European firm, who has designed a decidedly modern building.
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numstead Hamlet

numstead

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Posted
Boy Howdy! is that thing fugly. Looks like someone took every architectural cliche they could think of (cantilevers, boxes, windowless walls, suspension cables, geometric forms, odd angles) threw them in a box, shook it up and then dumped it next to a nice old brick building. Talk about a pointless exercise. There comes a time when someone involved in the design and approval process needs to step back and say, "Wait a minute, what's the point of this?"
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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Posted
I think I tend to agree. CoopHimmel-whoever does that alot. I just think there is a lot of wasted space/volume (like where that curtain wall come down sharply at an angle, you can't inhabit that space unless you crawl down there and curl up into a ball) and therefore a lot of wasted material and energy.
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