Entrance:  As visitors enter the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, they will be surrounded by lush landscaping that is built into the structure itself. The 250,000 square-foot complex is intended to act as a demonstration of ecological and sustainability principle, with the building harnessing energy from water, sun, wind and even museum visitors to power exhibits and conserve resources.

“There is no Plan B, because there is no Planet B,” said UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon at Stanford University earlier this year. In the decades since we first glimpsed Earth suspended in space and seemingly without boundaries, we’ve been learning to become aware of the fragility of life. We now know that the planet can quite happily continue without us. Bacteria and probably cockroaches will survive most disasters, but with a population of 7 billion and growing, it’s not so evident that our species can do the same.

Promenade: The open plaza of the new Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science will lead visitors to the Energy Playground and the adjacent Jorge M. Perez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County.

Life depends on energy for every necessary exchange. At each stage of that exchange, some energy is lost as heat or as increased disorder or entropy. Most of this energy comes from the sun. Life depends on how well we manage this exchange.

We live in that very narrow interface where conditions are hospitable to human life and, as the sun slowly runs out of energy; if we waste it, we hasten our demise. Of course, in geological terms, this is a long way off. We can, however, address the issues here and now and see what we can do to make our planet a great place for more of us to live – hence the importance of earth sciences.

Evening signage: At night, the new Museum of Science will be illuminated with various colors of light and signage, reflected on the planetarium and building structure.

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Museum seen from the waters of Biscayne Bay

A year after my first visit I went back to check the progress of the new Miami Art Museum (MAM). This time Jacques Herzog himself lead the tour of the Herzog & de Meuron project, with Christine Binswanger, senior partner accompanying him. Their insights on the design and seeing the construction closer to completion, gave me a comprehensive view of how the building is shaping up.

Museum seen from the Bay, with Highway 395 and Cesar Pelli’s Theatre of the Performing Arts to the right , and Biscayne Blvd condos to the left.

The first thing I noticed was how well MAM connects with its context, both the natural and urban, inside and out. The site is an architect’s dream. It’s a privileged piece of land, bordered on the south by the verdant Bicentennial Park and downtown, on the west by the city and, eventually, by the new Miami Science Museum; to the north by the 395 freeway and MacArthur Causeway leading to Miami Beach, and to the east the back of Biscayne Bay at the exact spot where the cruise ships docking at Port of Miami maneuver upon arrival. Just standing there makes you feel full of energy and vitality!

View looking out at MacArthur Causeway

Looking out, from deep inside the museum, with Freedom Tower in background.

A building inserted into such a site needs to hold its own and yet not be a carnival ride full of bells and whistles. This is no easy task. But this is what exactly what the architects seem to be accomplishing. When I asked Thom Collins, the museum’s director, what had surprised him most upon seeing the building take shape, he told me: “ There’s no place inside, whether a gallery or hallway, where you can’t look to the outdoors in at least two directions.” Indeed, the vistas are presented at every opportunity, yet they’re not distracting. I imagine that when completed, these rooms, though they will certainly be fit for the introspection required to connect with art, will have a more airy, inspiring feel than other somber, taciturn museum galleries. This couldn’t be more appropriate for a city like Miami, where just a single glance at the expansive sky and the ocean can evoke a fresh perspective, both literally and metaphorically.

Window opening with view of American Airlines Arena, by Arquitectonica and dowtown.

View out South from top floor, looking into park and downtown.

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The 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion built in London’s Kensington Gardens and designed by Herzog & de Meuron with Ai Weiwei, is the single best example of prospect and refuge I have ever seen. It’s definitely a place that works.

All signs point to human comfort where we’re in a refuge with prospect, accompanied by biophilic design elements. Such spaces are welcoming to our species, possibly because in our evolutionary past they helped secure our survival.

What does it mean to say that a space provides prospect and refuge?  Prospect is the ability to look out and determine what’s going on in a nearby area; refuge is, well, a sheltered space. Generally, when both are present and at their best, a refuge has a lower ceiling (or some other similar surface) and a view out over an area that has a higher (or no) ceiling and is more brightly lit. When our ancestors lived on the savanna with few tools to protect themselves, this sort of configuration allowed them to relax a little, knowing that they could see trouble approaching.

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When I asked philanthropist Eli Broad what he was looking for amidst the many competition entries for the new Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, his answer was clear. He wanted the most iconic design, one that could make a statement about the institution’s ambition. And what was that ambition? to make a difference in the community.

Eli Broad knows a thing or two about architecture and community, having been a cultural benefactor and funder of buildings by Frank Gehry, Diller Scofidio Renfro, and Renzo Piano. He’s also a creative and financial force behind countless educational programs around the U.S.

The chosen entry was by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), known for their radical and cutting edge design, in line with Broad’s and the university’s desire to shake things up in East Lansing.

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Renovated gallery,
All Images Curtesy of Toulouse-Lautrec Museum

For 10 years, the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, France has been under intense renovation.

Based within a 13th century fortress, Palais de la Berbie, the museum expanded its exhibition spaces to better display the world’s largest collection of 19th century French painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Celebrating the projects completion, The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum held an inaugural ceremony on July 27th. The French Minister of Culture, Aurélie Filippetti was in Albi for the festivities. Read more…

Hilary Jay is a dynamo. She presides over DesignPhiladelphia at the University of the Arts,  an impressively democratic array of design events, exhibitions, lectures, open studios, demonstrations, and street happenings, reached by some 200,000 people each fall. Jay thus proudly stakes her claim on “design as destination.”

DesignPhiladelphia follows Philadelphia’s great tradition of free access to many important cultural institutions. Jay notes, “Most of our programs are free and open to the public. I work hard to remove barriers to entry. DesignPhiladelphia is a great equalizer.”

PlayPhilly Big Chalkers, four-foot adult sized ‘sidewalk chalk’ crayons.
Project: Giacomo Ciminello and Kristin Freese   Photo: Jackie Starker

AIGA Pressed: A Hands-on Letterpress Workshop held at Two Paper Dolls (using antique Vandercook press)
Photo: Johanna Austin

Jay, as executive director and one of the founders of DesignPhiladelphia, has seen exponential growth in programming as well as attendance since its 2005 debut. Her goal is to harness the energy of this growing economic engine by facilitating designers’ connections. “We need to get people out of their silos to broaden their experience and increase their income,” she says.

DesignPhiladelphia event (handmade signage)
Photo: Louis Cook

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