Construction of Eli Broad’s new museum in Michigan pushed back
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You know times are tough — really tough — when even billionaire philanthropists are having trouble getting their projects off the ground.
Case in point: Eli Broad’s planned art museum at his alma mater Michigan State University. Budgetary wrangling between university officials and the architectural team has postponed the start of construction of the multimillion-dollar building.
This week, officials at MSU said the groundbreaking for the long-planned Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum is now scheduled for March 2010, which represents a two-year delay on the project.
The new opening for the museum now is set for 2012. Originally, the university had planned to break ground in 2008 and finish construction in 2010.
The winning design by London-based architect Zaha Hadid calls for 42,000 square feet spread over three levels.
‘Edye and I are delighted that this project is going forward and pleased that Michigan State and Zaha Hadid Limited have worked closely together to keep the project on budget,” Broad said in a statement to The Times.
“Hadid’s innovative and masterful design will become a cultural landmark for the region and provide a world-class museum for students and visitors of MSU.”
In March, news reports surfaced stating that costs for the museum had ballooned from the initial $40-million projection to an astounding $160 million.
This week, however, the university said the estimated cost is now in the range of $40 million to $45 million. It said Broad and his wife have donated $18.5 million to the museum, with the rest coming from other private donations.
‘Over the course of the last 14 months, we have been working to assure the architectural, programmatic and financial viability of the project. With the timeline confirmed, we are pleased we are moving forward,’ said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon in a statement.
An article that ran today in the Lansing State Journal suggested that university officials were having difficulty figuring out how to implement the ‘unusual pleated exterior’ of Hadid’s design. The article also said that offices and storage that were originally expected to fit in the new building may now have to be relocated to an existing building.
Hadid’s design was chosen in January 2008 from among five firms that submitted proposals. The museum will have approximately 18,000 square feet of gallery space when completed.
More renderings of Hadid’s designs are viewable here and here.
— David Ng