They're Going to Remodel the Folly Theater's Lobby?

From the Star today.

Folly Theater closed until September for $2.5 million renovation

So they're going to remodel the lobby of our venerable, loved Folly Theater. We're told it's to give it more room.

All well and good. Fine. Okay.

But one of the reasons we love the Folly is because it's traditional and older and beautiful.

From the looks of this diagram from Helix Architects, above, it seems they're going to strip all that away, strip it bare, and make it modern, if not very, very modern. To the point of stark.

And this is an improvement?

Really, Helix?

To the Folly Board of Directors, if you can't do it right and fully and completely and in keeping with the building and its original architecture...

why do it at all?

Abomination much?

Sacrilege much?

The website and effort I've been waiting for: SAVE KCI!!

Yes, and here it is:

KCI Still Rated #1 in North America | SAVE KCI !

Let's do this.

 

Let's save the original, existing KCI. It makes too much sense. We like it, it works and it would be not only a huge waste, walking away from the buildings there now but it would also be a huge expense.

 

And you know who'd end up paying for it, right?

 

If we need to cut costs for the airlines by giving them easier security access, let's look into making the center, B building for that security and then have walkways out to A and C where we'd go to the gates to board our planes and flights. There ought to be some good way to solve this.

They're on Facebook, too, so you can join there:  Save KCI | Facebook

New "Mind Museum" in Philippines

After getting and opening our own cool new building in downtown Kansas City, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, I was drawn today to an article in Fast Company magazine about a new "Mind Museum" that opens this December. Take a look:

Another view:

It's really an incredible concept, when you think about it--a museum on and for and about the mind. Humankind's tendency has always been to have museums on and about tangible things like trains or natural history. Here is a museum about the mind and how it works and what it can do. It seems the types of displays it could have would be virtually, if not actually, unlimited. They would be only limited by their own imaginations. And their minds. It makes for fascinating stuff, architecturally as well as for and on its subject. Link: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/161/philippine-mind-museum

Have you seen this tastelessness yet?

From Seoul, South Korea: "An architecture firm said Friday it “regrets” a bizarre design for two high-rises in Korea reminds people of the twin towers exploding on 9/11. A mockup shows two soaring skyscrapers connected in the middle by a 'pixelated cloud' that evoked the clouds of debris that erupted from the iconic World Trade Center towers after terrorists flew planes into them." Yes, do tell, What were you thinking? Link: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/design-korean-towers-evokes-exploding-wtc-9-11-architects-mvrdv-apologize-wasn-t-intentional-article-1.989391

KCMO HAS ONE OF "WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS!!!"

Dang!  How cool is that?!

This morning, on Yahoo! News is an article with, as said above, "The World's Most Beautiful Buildings" and lo and behold, our own Nelson-Atkins Art Museum's Bloch Gallery of Contemporary Art!

Right behind Mont St. Michel, in the South of France.

This is what they have to say about it:

Unlike many modern additions to historic museums, Steven Holl’s 21st-century companion doesn’t overwhelm the 1933 Beaux Arts original. His string of iridescent frosted-glass boxes pop out of the grassy lawn—they are absolutely magical at dusk when they begin to glow—and filter sunlight into a series of dramatic underground galleries.

Special Attraction: Check out the Noguchi Sculpture Court, a minimalist space created by the famed Japanese-American artist that cleverly blurs the line between indoors and out.

Yeehaw!

Not a total cowtown, eh?

Now, for the 90% of the people in the metropolitan area who haven't been over there yet to see it, get off your sofa and check it out, now that you know it's "legit".

Additionally, let me make a recommendation to you on it.  That is, go into the Bloch Gallery straight from outside--don't go in through the main, older gallery.  Go check it out, look around and enjoy.  Then, once back at the main lobby, THEN go into the original Nelson;  go up the stairs and enjoy that entrance.  Walk slowly, taking it all in, past the lion sculpture, etc.  Then, on your left, as you're walking through, look into the adjacent room, at an angle, and see the St. John the Baptist piece by Caravaggio.  Not only is the work itself magnificent but the placing of it here, where they have it, is very nearly breathtaking.

Now let's wait until November, when we get our 2nd extremely cool architectural wonder, when the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens.  More great headlines for our burg.

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Links:  http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-38095356
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/CollectionDatabase.cfm?id=1130&theme=euro
http://blog.ericbowersphoto.com/2011/03/brandmeyer-great-hall-at-the-kauffman-center-under-construction/

An exciting Kansas City development

 

I have to tell you, I've been so looking forward to this new Performing Arts Center here in town, I can barely wait until it opens.

When the new Bloch Gallery of Contemporary Art opened at the Nelson-Atkins Art Gallery, that was incredibly exciting itself. It's such a beautiful building, even if it is just at night. For everything from its position on the site to the same lighting at night, the views from within the gallery, the natural light inside the gallery and so much more, it's been a stunner since it opened.

Since that opening, I've looked forward to this additional addition to the Kansas City landscape. With the Moshe Safdie design--which is going to be brilliant both figuratively and literally--and what it will mean to Kansas City in terms of live art performances, it will be a huge, historic and important addition to the city and, really, the region.

We're a lucky, lucky people here in Kansas City.

(In spite of what Tony says on his blog).

(Just having fun, Tony).

I'd like to start thanking the Kauffman Foundation and all the people who have contributed to this facility we will have soon, now.