Museum of Arts & Design wins final approval by community and elected officials for redevelopment of Two Columbus Circle
Public Process Completed As Manhattan Borough Board Votes In Favor Of Building's Sale to Museum
New York, NY August 24, 2004—The Manhattan Borough Board today approved the sale of Two Columbus Circle to the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD), which plans to redevelop the site and transform it into a vibrant cultural, educational, and civic center. The 9-1 vote by the Board, which is chaired by Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields and comprised of ten Manhattan Council members and chairpersons of the 12 community boards, was the last in a series of public hearings required prior to the Museum's acquisition of the building from the City. It comes almost two years after MAD embarked on an extensive public review process seeking input on its plans from state and city agencies, community boards, and elected officials who approved of the project and endorsed its progress.
“Today's vote by the Manhattan Borough Board marks a milestone in the redevelopment of Two Columbus Circle as the future home of the Museum of Arts & Design,” says Jerome A. Chazen, Chairman of the Capital Campaign for the Museum. “We are grateful for the support we have received over the past 18 months from community representatives and public officials who welcome our plans to bring Two Columbus Circle back into public use as a thriving museum. We continue to move ahead as planned and look forward to contributing to the ongoing revitalization of the neighborhood.”
“Today's conclusion is great news for the Museum of Arts & Design and its visitors and artists, Columbus Circle , and New York City ,” says City Councilmember Gale Brewer. “The Museum of Arts & Design will enrich and enliven the neighborhood and presents a significant cultural and educational asset to the community.”
The Museum of Arts & Design was designated by the City to redevelop Two Columbus Circle in 2002, beating out competition for the site from Donald Trump and the Dahesh Museum .
MAD subsequently appointed an architect selection committee comprised of professionals in architecture and design education, the museum community, real estate development, city planning, and business and commissioned Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture to design the new building. Cloepfil is considered by many to be one of America 's most talented emerging architects.
The Public Process
In the fall of 2002, MAD began a cycle of meetings and public hearings, seeking input on its plans from numerous state and city agencies, community boards, and elected officials who endorsed the redevelopment of Two Columbus Circle as the Museum's future home and continued to review the project's progress. Over the course of more than 18 months, public hearings were held before the following city agencies and community boards who voted in favor of the project:
- Manhattan Community Board 5
- New York City Planning Commission
- New York City Council
- Manhattan Borough Board
The New Museum
MAD's new 54,000-square-foot home will transform Two Columbus Circle into an educational, cultural, and civic center serving visitors, students, families, and artists.
“For the first time in the history of this institution, we will have the variety of quality spaces that we need to display our unique permanent collection and accommodate a growing number of educational programs and artist studios, which will contribute significantly to the educational and social life of the West Side ,” says Holly Hotchner , Director of the Museum. “We look forward to creating a welcoming and architecturally significant museum in one of Manhattan 's most significant urban spaces, enabling us to serve the hundreds of thousands of visitors, families, and schoolchildren who come to this institution each year.”
The new building will weave together the museum experience and the City's street life, capitalizing on the building's pivotal location linking Midtown, the Upper West Side, and Central Park . The new Museum will have a dynamic, sculptural quality and reveal different grades of transparency from different vantage points. The façade of the new building will be composed of textured terracotta panels glazed in a light color, a material that resonates with MAD's craft tradition, and transparent and fritted glass. Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2005. The Museum's opening is scheduled for early 2007.
Museum of Arts & Design (MAD)
The Museum of Arts & Design is the country's leading cultural institution dedicated to the collection and exhibition of contemporary objects created in a wide range of media, such as clay, glass, wood, metal, and fiber. The Museum celebrates materials and processes that are today embraced by practitioners in the fields of craft, decorative arts, and design. MAD's distinguished permanent collection includes over 2,000 objects by renowned and emerging artists and designers from around the world, representing many forms of creativity and craftsmanship.