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Chazen reveals architecture plan

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by Pedro Oliveira Jr.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Chazen Museum of Art officials unveiled the design concept of an adjacent addition to the facility Thursday, a $36 million project set to begin construction by early 2009.

The new section of the Chazen will include new galleries for the African, Asian and decorative arts, as well as hands-on object study rooms and an auditorium for film exhibitions.

The building will be located at the site of the former A.W. Peterson building, between North Murray and Lake streets, and will be connected to the current museum facility by a bridge, which will also be used for expositions.

"You will actually be able to go do the round at the gallery, and as you cross the bridge, you might not even be aware that you just walked from one building to another," Chazen director Russell Panczenko said.

Boston-based Machado and Silvetti Associates is developing the design of the building, and Milwaukee-based Continuum Architects is managing the project, including construction.

According to Rodolfo Machado, of Machado and Silvetti Associates, the underneath of the bridge will also be used as part of the museum. North Murray Street will be converted into a paved outdoor sculpture garden, leading into Library Mall and facing Lake Mendota.

"Sometimes good views are better when framed, because they are valued more," Machado said.

The project also includes a remodeling of the University Avenue area around the site, adding an entrance and temporary parking space for loading and unloading of visitors.

Construction rights should be open for bidding by December 2008, and the facility is set to open around March 2011, according to Project Manager Robert Barr, of Continuum Architects.

"We spent several months working with the staff of the museum to understand all of their needs, the collections, and what would be necessary for the addition of the museum," Barr said.

At the project presentation Thursday, not all attendees were happy with the new design.

"From the University [Avenue] front, it’s a design that has not been married very well," Madison resident Simon Chen said. "It has not been integrated very well."

Panczenko responded, saying museum staff is "happy with what [they’ve] got so far."

"This is a tremendous design, it’s a design in progress, and it’s hard for people to accept this isn’t a finished project yet," Chazen Council Chairman Tim Erdman said.

Chazen officials and architects went through several hundred potential designs until they finally reached the current model, Panczenko said. The design concept is still in the development process, however, and might be subject to changes.

The Chazen Museum of Art serves Madison-area students and residents. The museum currently dedicates most of its 26,000 square feet for its permanent collection, and also reserves space for between 10 and 12 temporary exhibitions throughout the year. All exhibitions are free of charge.

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