Journal

A chronicle of people, places, happenings, and creations we admire.

OMA's Fondaco dei Tedeschi Opens in Venice

©OMA

Dutch architecture firm OMA have recently completed the renovation of the ancient and iconic Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which sits at the foot of the solid stone Ponte di Rialto in the heart of Venice.  A truly beautiful and evocative collision of architecture preserved in situ and slick, refined opportunities, piercing elements and opulent yet contemporary materials create a healthy amount of tension between old and new.  

This unique series of interventions in the form of circulation, place-making and enclosure may prove controversial to purists who feel that the nearly 820 year-old structure should have been rehabilitated without such audacious elements disturbing the scheme.  It is presumably the opinion Koolhaas and Co., that such a significant structure should emerge more than a museum or relic, but a modern machine of multi-purpose spaces, retail and culture which (one could give a nod to sustainability) and a new relevance in the modern world which it resides.

Mark 57: August / September 2015

One of our favorite architecture and design publications is Mark.  In issue #57 Monica Zerboni investigates OMA’s Prada Foundation, the Mother of all Epicenters, where all Prada culture is created, tested, perfected and exhibited.  Acting virtually as a museum on the old industrial side of Milan, the Fondazione is also a bastion of art, media and creativity.  This among other projects by Herzon & de Meuron, Projekt Praga, Swedish firm Schmitt Hammer Lassen's public library in Aarhus, their concert hall in Malmö, L.A. architect Eric Owen Moss' Pterodactyl building, Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s new Broad Museum are feature in the August-September issue.

Photos: ©Frame Publishers, 2015

Garage Gorky Park by OMA / Rem Koolhaas

Garage Gorky Park, set to open Friday, June 12, is a result of a renovation of the abandoned 60's restaurant Vremena Goda (Seasons of the Year).  The concrete pavilion had laid dormant for over 20 years. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his team at OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) repurposed the 5,400m2 (55,000 sf) structure, creating exhibition galleries on two levels, a children's art center, shop, café, auditorium and staff offices. The design preserves original Soviet-era artifacts and elements (certainly a nod to adaptive reuse and sustainability) - including a large mosaic, original tiles and brick.  

The clever double-layer polycarbonate outer skin acts as a light filter with the 'party piece' being a pair of enormous vertically movable panels on either side of the building.

About the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

Founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova, the institution is a place for people, art, and ideas to create history.

Through an extensive program of exhibitions, events, education, research, and publishing, the institution reflects on current developments in Russian and international culture, creating opportunities for public dialogue, as well as the production of new work and ideas in Moscow. At the center of all these activities is the Museum’s collection, which is the first archive in the country related to the development of Russian contemporary art from the 1950s through the present.

Garage Exhibitions spark engagement with art and culture while exploring issues of local and global relevance; Garage Education draws audiences of all ages through pioneering programs for both families and professionals; Garage Publishing makes major cultural texts available in Russian for the first time and innovates new publications related to Garage Archive, Exhibitions, and other activities; Garage Field Research invites practitioners to develop fresh perspectives on Russian art and culture; Garage Grants program supports young Russian artists and spearheads a range of activities that incorporate Russian artists into the global art community — all of which contribute to the Museum’s role as a multifaceted hub for arts and culture.

Garage is a non-profit project of The IRIS Foundation.-- ©2015 GMoCA

Photo Credits: 1-3, Vladimir Filonov / 4-6, OMA / 7-8, Nikolay Zverkov