The Observer, February 1, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 15
CIA plans to consolidate campus on Euclid with new building designed by Dutch firm
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The Cleveland Institute of Art has a "hunch" that its newest addition will compete with the unique architecture that can be found throughout Cleveland. The hunch-shaped rectangular building will be located directly west of the Joseph McCullogh Center for the Visual Arts, on Euclid Avenue right across from 115th Street. Designed by the Netherlands architectural firm MVRDV, the 80,000-square-foot building will provide natural lighting to classrooms and studios with an abundance of windows in a steel frame.
Headed by lead architect Winy Maas, MVRDV will secure its first North American project in 2009 with the completion of CIA's new addition. Though MVRDV has been recognized with awards worldwide, the United States is just beginning to know the firm through its design for CIA and through the firm's involvement in the "Make it Right" project, designed to construct stronger homes in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans.
Both rectangular in design, the CIA building and New Orleans homes aim to achieve maximum functionality through design techniques.
MVRDV goals is to prove its adaptability through its willingness to provide safe, low-cost, and high design-quality living to individuals in New Orleans while still maintaining the same involved relationship with larger companies to create more sizable products.
The firm, founded in 1991, involves clients at the early design stage and encourages close interaction to offer buildings that fully accommodate individuals' and companies' needs.
In addition to the contemporary addition, plans have been made to renovate the adjacent McCullough center – which was a Ford assembly plant until 1981 – to include new classrooms, galleries, studios, and a library, according to The Plain Dealer.
This $53 million addition and renovation will provide the Institute with a central campus by allowing the school to vacate its older Gund Building, which is currently located on the corner of East Boulevard and Bellflower.
MVRDV's unique designs mesh with the Art Institute's goal of exposing Cleveland to cutting-edge architecture. Many college students, however, have already been familiarized to Maas' architecture through his guest lectures at universities as well as through his books. This well-known architect will attempt to have MVRDV make a name for itself in the United States.
Within the projected time of one year, the Cleveland Institute of Art has to improve on their reputation by becoming recognized for the studios in which they work.
