After considering an initial group of about 12 architectural practices, the University has narrowed the pool of candidates to build the proposed new art museum to five internationally-known firms. Administrators will select a winner by the end of the year.
Among the narrowed-down choices, said University Architect John Pearce, are Cesar Pelli of New Haven, Conn.; Herzog & de Meuron of Basel, Switzerland; and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Rafael Vinoly and Steven Holl, all of New York.
"All of the architects have built very compelling museum projects," said Judith Kinnard, chair of the department of architecture at the University of Virginia. "[Duke] University should be commended for selecting such a distinguished list of internationally significant architects."
Michael Mezzatesta, director of the Duke University Museum of Art, said these qualifications-international acclaim and previous museum design-are important to the University's search.
"We want someone who will lend something to the art of architecture," he said.
Mezzatesta has already examined some of the firms' previous museum work and all except one has interviewed on campus. A final site for the University's museum will be decided after an architect is chosen.
Cesar Pelli is already working on campus, as the design consultant for the exterior of the Wilson Recreational Center. The firm's other work includes the expansion to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. According to the Encyclopedia of American Architecture, "Each new project of this firm is of design interest."
Herzog & de Meuron won the European Prize for Industrial Architecture in 1996. The firm is known for its design of the Gallery for a Private Collection of Modern Art, Goetz Collection, in Munich. Herzog & de Meuron is also currently working on the Tate Gallery of Modern Art in London.
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners is most recently known for the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. According to the Encyclopedia, "[the] firm has enjoyed great international renown, for a variety of building types." The firm was also behind the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.Rafael Vinoly-which has not yet interviewed at the University-has done significant work with performing arts centers, including the Philadelphia Regional Performing Arts Center and the Baltimore Performing Arts Center. The firm recently finished a new football stadium at Princeton University.
American Architects praises Steven Holl for his "careful attention to details." His first major project, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland, was widely acclaimed. The recipient of the 1997 New York American Institute of Architects Medal of Honor, Holl is currently in the schematic design stage of the Bellevue Art Museum in Bellevue, Wash.
The idea for the new museum has been evolving for more than a decade, but was accelerated in November by a $7.5-million donation by the Nasher family.
"I've thought carefully about Duke University, both its importance to me and to my daughter," said Raymond Nasher, Trinity '43. "I determined the one thing that we could contribute to the University that would make a difference would be a museum and cultural center."
The $15-million museum, titled the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, will feature 50,000 square feet and will include a sculpture garden, cafe and bookshop.
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