Before heading out to Beijing, I spent the weekend in Philadelphia, and walked past Williams and Tsien’s new Barnes Museum several times. I really liked the “back” façade, with its composition of alternating concrete panels and window slits. I really hated the “front” façade – the huge traditionally mulled windows in all different shapes looked completely out of place, punched arbitrarily into the gridded composition established by the panels and slits. It looked like design by committee, but a committee that took two opposing opinions, and could only come to an awful standoff. Or, someone hit the "it's too modern!" panic button, and forced the late-game addition of some "traditional windows."
Design may be subjective, and good taste is certainly defined by the taster, but sheesh... There are more sensitive ways to relate to a historic context than collaging pieces and parts into a Frankenstein façade, which, surely, these architects wouldn't have done if given latitude to do their own work.
Ok, climbing off my soapbox.
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| "Front" facade. |
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| "Front" facade. |
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| "Back" facade. |
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