Our hometown, Kansas City, has an exciting new building opening on June 9. It's the addition to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. The additon, designed by NYC architect Steven Holl, is made up of "lantern" structures that march their way down one side of the original Beaux Arts museum building.
The city's embraced the design, though there were skeptics when construction started. Much of the public equated the vertical stripes in the structural glass facade to vernacular metal barn buildings in the region. But we are proud to see this positive new addition to the city.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Hey, I'm from KC too!
It's good to see a glimpse of home while living here in NY, and Kansas City is so proud of its arts!
view EP's profile
I'm a Kansas Citian checking in... and there was skepticism behind the building, but most the people in the Kansas City metro have to actually be shown things... and not told about them.
... hence the reason it's not artistically caught up with other major metros when it should be!
view sarahrae's profile
another kansas citian...
the inside gorgeous as well. got to go through it a couple of months ago. there's nothing like it anywhere around here. every time I drive by there are people climbing around the landscaping (which is also tremendous), just looking, staring at the building. it elicits more reaction than any new building I've ever seen.
the thing I appreciate about the arts scene here is that it has a pretty well-developed sense of humor. sometimes it veers into kitsch and 'serious' pieces tend not to work too well, but KC does smirky art better than a lot of places. of course the 'necks in lees summit always complain, but that's going to happen no matter what.
view matt in kc's profile
Another Kansas Citian!
I hadn't heard about this, so I can't wait to see it on my next trip to visit the parents.
I'm always proud to tell people who ask about Kansas City about the Nelson, KCAI, the Kemper, and the small but fervent arts scene in general.
Every time I think of the Nelson, I think of the many happy saturday mornings I spent in the basement there as a kid taking art classes, where we'd traipse upstairs to get "inspiration" in the galleries before going downstairs and putting on our smocks.
view moema's profile