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RE @LACMA I’m finding it terribly dispiriting as a participant and practitioner in both art and architecture in my adopted hometown of Los Angeles this moment of potential celebration has instead brought forth potshots and damnation
MY VOTE I recommend the #lacountyboardofsupervisors including @MRTempower and @SheilaKuehl give a conditional approval to the EIR which both grants the funds and permission necessary to proceed and acknowledge the furor in an open and public conversation led by @HawthorneCDOLA
THE SCHEME yes I liked the WuTang scheme and its model better. Do I believe it’s appeal was superseded in Zumthor’s mind? Yes. Do I believe his body of work merits this faith- undoubtedly. For those unfamiliar with design development see our own Disney Hall (which I worked on). 
THE ARCHITECT Peter Zumthor is a true giant in my field. It’s willful ignorance to deny the poetry+substance of his best work. I’d suggest Louis Kahn’s nearby Salk Institute as a building locally suggestive of his work. (BTW to embrace this one needn’t ignore our local riches).
OUTSIDER a very disturbing and provincial sideline of this argument suggest Zumthor’s remoteness is disqualifying, ignoring fact he’s frequented our city at least since teaching at @sciarc since the 80s. Such myopia would preclude our own pride in Bilbao (which I also worked on)
SCOPE AND SCALE 1 some of the criticism seems to rely on an idea that because this is his largest project to date its overwhelmed him. This catch 22 is difficult for all of us architects and doesn’t require imagination to understand with these limits we’d still be in caves.
SCOPE AND SCALE 2 Do I expect Zumthor to make his most significant work on his biggest stage? Yes I do. Do I think it’s possible he’s laying a giant egg on us from afar as his swan song ? NO.
AMBIGUITY of course we all want to see where this greatness hides. It’s reasonable to wonder given paucity of images present. I’m quite certain there’s a reason- the timing requires this approval while the scheme itself is in flux. Can’t that be OK. Can’t we champion creativity?
FEE I’ve seen 10m on a 650m building for 10 years of work. I believe Zumthor has an office of 30 or so. Our Disney+Bilbao teams were typically around 20-30. Given 10 employees at 100k per x 10yrs this is all spent. I’m surprised the fee isn’t MORE at this stage. Hardly profligate
BRIDGING WILSHIRE it’s surprising that suddenly the vista of the road itself has become so important. I don’t believe it. I’d be grateful for screening my westward view of the @Petersen_Museum. Frank has spoken of Wilshire as a spine of the city and this parti seems apt to me.
DIRECTION I’ve been aghast at reading essentially hit-tweets on Michael Govan. For all of us remembering a before and after WRT his term @LACMA it’s ridiculous to not acknowledge the great blossoming under his stewardship. Re DIA guessing problem bigger than him.
DEBT this is the only disturbing part I’ve gleaned from any of this brouhaha, along with the good news that @MOCAlosangeles is debt free. Well thank goodness that collection wasn’t absconded and certainly if debt is the issue that’s described that’s not an architectural problem.
SQUARE FOOTAGE 1 superficially the net loss may seem troubling but I’ve yet to understand any architecture’s value through the metric of square footage. Development yes, architecture no, and curation doubtful. I can think of many fine small museums, my own @RISDMuseum in retort.
SQUARE FOOTAGE 2 I’d suggest claiming the @variety tower ASAP and using that vertically. I’m pretty darn sure that must be on the radar. In fact in this age of easily consumable and dumbly named schemes (veil+vault, vessel+shed) I like the idea of the tower and the slab.
ENCYCLOPEDIC1 wiser minds prophesize the existing vague scheme prohibits a certain reading of the collection. It’s unclear to me why they give so much heft to orthodoxy, and these same citations fail to note the discarded (too expensive) #OMA
ENCYCLOPEDIC2 OMA/RemKoolhaas scheme which proposed a hybrid of timeline and intersectional approach to the catalog. disappointing that grievance cites @metmuseum as paradigm when that institution seems in midst of a very similar rethink.
SNIPEY BULLSHIT1 embarrassed some of our best critics are deeming this chance worthwhile to badmouth @RyanSeacrest. While I likely share their distaste for his TV programs it’s dumb to deny his talent+ dismiss his participation when this shift in resources should be applauded.
SNIPEY BULLSHIT2 similarly both our arts championing @MayorOfLA and @Diane_Keaton have been snootily jibed for their support and I’d like to believe all of us in the arts might rise above the filthy dialogue that’s happening in DC.
GOOD CRITICISM can be so productive and provide the nutrition for us practitioners to exceed ourselves. Constructive insight is hard to find at the moment. An exception is this piece by @LangeAlexandra and @awalkerinLA in @CurbedLA google.com/amp/s/la.curbe… > its headline
CREDITS my sources here included bits by @KnightLAT @LAReviewofBooks #josephgiovannini @TylerGreenBooks @paulgoldberger @jerrysaltz @JohnKingSFChron @latimes and I’ve enjoyed reading all of their views and insights and wish this could feel less like the ending of Reservoir Dogs.
