MUSEUM PLAZA
REX
MUSEUM PLAZA
615 Main Street, Louisville, KY, USA
Status: Construction began October 25, 2007 Construction halted August 1, 2011 Owner: Museum Plaza, LLC Architect: REX Museum Plaza is a 1.5 million square foot, mixed-use building programmed for many seemingly unrelated activities. The programmes are articulated vertically, responding to the small, urban footprint of the site. Rectangular masses are stacked on top of one another, all converging in a central “island� which houses the museum and cultural elements of the building. The vertical masses house a Westin Hotel, condominiums, lofts, office space and the University of Louisville Master of Fine Arts program. Construction of the $490 million complex was officially halted on August 1, 2011 due to cost issues arising from the collapse of the financial markets in 2007. Museum Plaza relates specifically to High + Low Museum Detroit because of the way it addresses issues of verticality, mixed usage between cultural and economic forces, and urban image. REX embraces the economic realities of this ambitious project while still showcasing the cultural importance of the museum. Had this project been finished it would have forever changed the Louisville skyline, providing an opportunity for a new image of the city, while still remaining situated in the historical context of Louisville. Total Area (sf) Floors Footprint (sf) Height (ft) Contemporary Art Institute (sf) University of Louisville MFA (sf) Office Space (sf) Restaurants / Shops (sf) Luxury Condominiums Lofts Westin Hotel (rooms) Public Sculpture Garden Parking Capacity
1,530,000 62 193,675 703 40,000 25,00 269,000 20,000 98 117 250 800
SITE
The site of Museum Plaza is located in the West Main District of downtown Louisville, Kentucky on the banks of the Ohio River. The opposite bank of the Ohio River is the boundary between Kentucky and Indiana. This area is colloquially known as “Museum Row.� It is located near the Kennedy Junction, a main vehicular artery. Culturally, Louisville is between the Midwest and the South. The museum (cultural) program is placed between the other major architectural masses in this project as well.
193,675.04 sf 1,530,000 sf
MUSEUM ROW
PROGRAM
The program is divided between the major masses, each housing its own specific program. The vertical masses are the revenue producing elements which all fund the museum in the central island. All of the programs converge in the island, combining both art and commerce. The client requested diverse programming for the revenue producing areas so that the market would not be oversaturated with one single activity.
OFFICES CULTURE
LIVING HOTEL PARKING
TYPICAL URBAN CONDITION
PUBLIC PROGRAM LIBERATED
CIRCULATION
In this project there is a balance between the utilitarian travel that must be taken for those moving to the offices , lofts, and condominiums while still providing a compelling sequence for those visiting the museum galleries. The architect eschewed the typical circular sequence of the museum, beginning and ending in the lobby. Museum Plaza inverts this relationship and creates of “loop� of commerce around the gallery space, allowing curators to exhibit simultaneous performances. This questions the relationship between art and commerce which have historically remained separate.
STRUCTURE
The structure is a typical grid of steel members, maximizing profit within the towers. The gallery space is subdivided by movable partitions allowing curators to adjust the space as needed. Gallery space was positioned over structure below rather than on the cantilevered portion of the island for load reasons.
LIGHT STRATEGY
The normally plain gallery space is given breathtaking views up through the towers above and down to the park below. The exterior of the gallery is clad with glass fritted with a dot matrix pattern. When rendered white the brain interprets the dot matrix pattern as opaque and when rendered black the pattern appears transparent. This creates a two-way mirror effect, preserving the integrity of the white museum gallery while providing interaction with those outside the institutional walls.
ISLAND
CONDO + LOFT + HOTEL
Works Cited Brake, Alan G. “Speed Bump for Museum Plaza.” The Architect’s Newspaper. The Architect’s Newspaper, LLC, 5 Nov. 2008. Web. 6 Sept. 2011. <http://www. archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=2932>. Luhan, Gregory A., Dennis Domer, and David Mohney. Louisville Guide. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2004. Print. “Museum Plaza.” REX – Architecture PC. Web. 6 Sept. 2011. <http://www.rex-ny.com/work/museum-plaza/>. Per, Aurora F., and Javier Mozas, eds. “Museum Plaza.” A+t: Hybrids I. High-Rise Mixed-Use Buildings 2008: 90-101. Print. Saieh , Nico . “Museum Plaza / REX” 10 Feb 2009. ArchDaily. Accessed 6 Sep 2011. <http://www.archdaily. com/12543>