deedsdesign

I took this picture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art.  The wing to the left of the opening is the new wing of the museum. The yellow brick building is definitely the Eliel Saarinen original from the 1940s.  The new wing is based on a Rafael Moneo master plan, but designed by an Ann Arbor, Michigan based architect who isn’t getting much press.  “The work of Moneo, a winner of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s equivalent of the Nobel, has been augmented by work of Ann Arbor architect  David W. Osler” Further research (Jan 12, 2011) reveals that the Smith Group is now credited with the project. I’m not sure if my previous research yielded inaccurate information, or if The Smith Group took over when Osler died in 2008.

I like the simple transition and I think the new wing nicely complements Saarinen’s quiet brick building. Im not su sure about the new brick color….but they probably couldn’t easily match the yellow bricks.

A side note: The view through the large square opening is through the woods to the Booth house, formal garden and pool.  If you zoom in on the first photo you can barely see this, but the trees sure need a pruning.

My dad just sent me this picture of the other side of the addition – the parking lot entrance. It just opened in the fall of 2011.

Here is a good Architect Magazine article about the project including statistics and more photos.