Nearly three years after Dallas philanthropist Raymond Nasher donated $7.5 million to construct a new facility for the Duke University Museum of Art, the project may finally move from the abstract to the concrete.
Ron Djuren, Duke's project manager, said he will present final designs for the museum at the Board of Trustees meeting Oct. 5 and 6, and if all goes well, the Board will give final approval in December, with groundbreaking to follow that month or in early 2002.
The project has not always run on schedule, and the budget has expanded slightly over time. Original plans called for construction to break ground in late 2000 or early 2001. But difficulties in securing institutional support for the project, delays in choosing an architect and a gradual increase in the scale of the facility--and with it the budget--caused the project to be waylaid.
"In a sense, the stars had to align between the resources available, the vision of the architect and the ability to balance the two as you realize the costs are higher than originally envisioned," said John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations.
Djuren said he had hoped the project would move faster.
"We had hoped
The project has long been in the works. Nasher approached the University years ago offering to partially fund the museum, but the University was unable to publicly accept the offer until December 1999. Burness explained that Duke wanted to ensure it could construct the building in a way that would meet its architectural and academic needs.
The project budget is now $5 million higher than originally expected. "The budget for the project has gone from 15 million to 20 million officially," said Djuren. He attributed these jumps to an increase in the size of the facility and the desire for more costly detailing. "For example, it is desirable for us to have a stone floor in the great hall and wood floors in the galleries. Before we had planned on using colored concrete."
The project's chief architect, Brandan Guerin of Rafael Vi-oly Architects, said the budget has always been troublesome. "It was always a concern; you design to the budget," he said. "It is what it is--I knew the budget when we started. We had a target budget, and numbers have been moving slightly, but we are very happy where we are at."
University Architect John Pearce said the Board of Trustees would likely find the budget acceptable. "As always on big projects, there are alternatives to the scope which permit us to control the final product and cost. I expect to see these evolve as the final design is completed," he wrote in an e-mail.
Burness said the University has been able to find new sources to cover the extra costs.
Guerin said he has been able to reduce the costs some by working with local fabricators to find cheaper, but still acceptable, materials.
The latest plans for the museum, which will be built on the corner of Duke University Road and Anderson Drive, call for five pavilions linked by a glass-covered lobby or great hall. The pavilions will include a 20th century international art gallery, a special exhibitions gallery and a permanent collections gallery. The other two pavilions will house an auditorium and a large three-story office facility, which will include classroom space.
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