Frederik Meijer Gardens - $115 Million Expansions/Enhancements

[GRDadof3]

41 minutes ago, Pattmost20 said:

Agreed. I don't go as much as I should, but every time I do I am blown away by how much there is to see. Also the Japanese garden is really world class and worth the trip alone.

I'm embarrassed to say I have not been to the Japanese Gardens yet. I even photographed them under construction and have never seen the finished product. 

[MJLO]

8 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

I'm embarrassed to say I have not been to the Japanese Gardens yet. I even photographed them under construction and have never seen the finished product. 

The longer you wait, the better they get as they grow into themselves

[GRDadof3]

The Meijer Gardens is commissioning sculptor Juame Plensa to make a piece for the new Garden Pavilion called "Utopia," according to the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/03/09/us/ap-mi-meijer-gardens-acquisition.html

The artwork consists of 19-foot-tall (5.8-meter-tall) portraits of four young women of different backgrounds and nationalities. It will be located in the Welcome Center's new Garden Pavilion room. The sculpture is being created in Barcelona, Spain, and carved from white marble.

You probable know Plensa's work and didn't know it. 

[joeDowntown]

Very excited about this. He also designed the Crown Fountain in Millenium Park (Chicago):

[Pattmost20]

Very cool! Can't wait to check out the new welcome center once it is complete.

[GRDadof3]

21 hours ago, Pattmost20 said:

Very cool! Can't wait to check out the new welcome center once it is complete.

I think it will feel more "world-class." Hope it's not off-putting to the generally "older" midwestern crowd that frequents the place.

[GRDadof3]

Found this aerial drone shot of the work going on, on their website. Dang. 

[mpchicago]

37 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Found this aerial drone shot of the work going on, on their website. Dang. 

 

 

Holy crap!   Looks like an aerial shot that could have been taken in 1994 when they were building the place, to begin with!  

[joeDowntown]

Mlive has an expansion video update. It’s short but pretty interesting to see what’s been done so far. I thought part of the footage was rendered, but the colors and plantings are just vivid. Can’t wait to get there again:

 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

I went to an event here yesterday morning (maybe saw some of you and didn't know it!). But man is the expansion huge. This is one end of the new entrance. It's bigger than it looks in the picture.

[deja vu]

Frederik Meijer Gardens held a ribbon cutting on Monday, January 11, 2021 for their new welcome center. It took a long time (under construction since 2017), but it looks like it was worth the wait! More photos at the article link below -

Quote

 

Meijer Gardens unveils ‘beautiful’ new welcome center
Brian McVicar | MLive
January 11, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — There’s a new gateway to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. On Monday, President and CEO David Hooker held a ceremonial ribbon cutting for a new, 69,000-square-foot welcome center designed to provide visitors with a more spacious and inviting entryway to the gardens. The welcome center features slick granite walls, tall windows, sculptures, a lounge, and more. It houses Meijer Gardens’ ticketing services, coat room, restrooms, volunteer center, library and other services...

 

Source: Cory Morse | MLive

[GR_Urbanist]

That looks like the first class lounge for a high-end airline!

[joeDowntown]

Meijer Gardens is amazing. So excited to see the new welcome center in person. One of my favorite artists at FMG is Jaume Plensa. I knew that he was commissioned to create a marble “sculpture” for one of the buildings. It’s going to be part of the welcome center, but must not be installed yet (as photos would definitely highlight it).
 

I was searching around today and found this video of “Utopia”. It’s amazing (and I can imagine it being talked about worldwide for years to come). It’s a cool video (even if you aren’t into art). The marble  slabs they used are insane. 

Joe

[GRDadof3]

From a friend of mine who works at FMG, it sounds like all of the interior work has been completed in this $115 Million expansion. There are just 3 outdoor garden areas that they'll complete this summer. Anyone been to the Gardens recently? I see there's a big new monument sign out at the Beltline entrance. 

They weren't able to host any grand reopening in November/December due to covid, unfortunately. 

I wonder with this massive project in the rearview mirror, I wonder if they'll announce a master plan for the old Grand Rapids Golf Club. I go by there almost daily and wonder what the future holds. 

 

[joeDowntown]

5 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

From a friend of mine who works at FMG, it sounds like all of the interior work has been completed in this $115 Million expansion. There are just 3 outdoor garden areas that they'll complete this summer. Anyone been to the Gardens recently? I see there's a big new monument sign out at the Beltline entrance. 

They weren't able to host any grand reopening in November/December due to covid, unfortunately. 

I wonder with this massive project in the rearview mirror, I wonder if they'll announce a master plan for the old Grand Rapids Golf Club. I go by there almost daily and wonder what the future holds. 

 

We were there I November (pre holidays displays) and it’s pretty amazing. The Jaume Plensa area wasn’t open yet, but the architecture of the expansion is really impressive. Can’t wait to go back when the temperatures aren’t close to 0 degrees.

[Pattmost20]

I was there just after they opened Utopia, it is really impressive. I'll have to get photos next time I'm there. 

[droonus2000]

I hope the next expansion is of the indoor gardens. It’s wonderful, I just wish there was more to explore of warmer climates, or unique attractions, like the Japanese garden. Not sure how it would fit in, but I think more garden experiences would be a great thing. 

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, droonus2000 said:

I hope the next expansion is of the indoor gardens. It’s wonderful, I just wish there was more to explore of warmer climates, or unique attractions, like the Japanese garden. Not sure how it would fit in, but I think more garden experiences would be a great thing. 

I’d love to see the greenhouse go vertical. The gardens in Washington DC has a second level up in the canopy. Gives a great view of the foliage. I agree, more indoor gardens would be great. 

Joe

[WMrapids]

19 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

I’d love to see the greenhouse go vertical.

I second this. The Dallas World Aquarium has a nice, vertical greenhouse filled with wildlife.

On 1/21/2022 at 3:09 PM, GRDadof3 said:

I wonder with this massive project in the rearview mirror, I wonder if they'll announce a master plan for the old Grand Rapids Golf Club. I go by there almost daily and wonder what the future holds. 

Plenty of room for a world-class aquarium. 

Edited January 25 by WMrapids

[GRDadof3]

Sounds like there's nothing on the horizon for the golf course land but they do have several long-term projects they want to do on the main campus.