While on
vacation I had the opportunity to visit the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
in Boston, designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro and completed in 2006, ICA is
a key part of Boston's Fan Pier re-development efforts www.icaboston.org/about/thenewica/design-announcement/
Our time there got me thinking about how important it is for the "Big
Idea" to matched by "Attention to Detail."
It is the
building's "Big Idea" that first grabs your attention as you
approach. Four stories in the air, the
main gallery cantilevers 60 feet out over the harbor. A monumental exterior stair leading to the
studio theater, rises three stories beneath the cantilever. Inside an all glass elevator as big as an
executive office rises to the main gallery with spectacular views both inside
and out. The stadium-style media labs
frame a view of the water which one tour guide described as "the world's
coolest screen-saver." Along the
east side of the fourth floor is the Founders' Gallery with riveting views of
Boston Harbor. These and many other
large-scale gestures create civic building worthy of its prominent location and
the accolades it has received from architectural critics: www.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/arts/design/08ica.html
But after
spending some time there and getting over my country-boy-in-the-big-city
wonder, I began to see details that didn't match the expectations set by the "Big Idea". Little things --
like sloppy drywall finishing, cracks in concrete floors, paint drippings and
materials that scream "value-engineering" no matter how creatively
they are used -- all add up to a building that struggles to live up to its first
impression. A review from a year after
it opened, confirmed my suspicions:
On one
hand it's exciting to see an organization and a city like Boston try something
bold and innovative. But cost and
quality control too often mean doing it the way it's always been done. When audacious ideas meet bureaucracy, too
often the result is a building like the ICA -- best viewed from afar, not up
close.
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