Long anticipated, greatly hyped, the Harley Davidson Museum is nearing completion. It's slated to open on July 12th.
It's a sharp looking piece of modern design, courtesy of New York City's Pentagram Design. Its factory-like aesthetic fits nicely into the Menomonee Valley, long the city's industrial center.
The campus is a bit sprawling for my tastes, but at least down in the Valley it's not taking away from denser areas. The Menomonee Valley is, by its nature, a large gap in the city's urban fabric. With no plans to change that, it's as good a place as any to host the museum, and having this sort of draw close to downtown is a definite plus.
I'm very pleased to see the riverside landscaping and paths that have been included as part of the campus; presumably these will extend the Valley's biking and walking trails further east. They form a sharp contrast with the brutal rear wall of the main Post Office building across the river, showing just how much attitudes toward the river have changed in 40 years.
As for the building itself, Whitney Gould summed it up nicely two years ago: it's no Calatrava-aping showstopper, but it's taut and disciplined, cooly and respectably modern. I look forward to seeing the interior, and what spatial surprises await within.
5 comments:
You should really do a post on the St. Paul Ave. Main Post Office. I've always found it a strange building, but there's something nice about it too. I enjoy going there to mail a package-- its like walking into a perfectly preserved (though outdated) architectural idea.
Take photos now because its getting the wrecking ball in 2011 when the a new central mail facility will be opened in Oak Creek.
Honestly, I say good riddance.
The best part of the Post Office is the irregular stone paneling on the street side, which is absolutely lovely in late afternoon sun.
The worst part is... well, almost everything else. The building is monolithic, overscaled, and abusive to the river. The main lobby has some interesting early 70s wood details, but they don't make for a very exciting or pleasant space IMO.
I do appreciate the deep overhangs at the sidewalk, which offer some shelter from the elements as you're coming and going. I'll probably miss the building more than most, but still not very much.
I see your point about those large stone panels on the upper half of the building. It just feels so cold and uninviting. Like a hideous castle in the heart of what could be a thriving neighborhood. Walking from the train station to the Third Ward at night I believe is far less comfortable because of that building. Its an oversized, underused building, very empty, very dark. It definitely hurts my image of the city when I come to visit.
Anyone have any thoughts as to what should or could replace it? Those tracks must be quite loud at times and might discourage residential development.
Yes, put the new central mail facity here, or just keep the old one. Either options are better than sending the facility to Oak Creek.
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