May 8, 2006

The Power of the Idea

There has been an incredible amount of coverage of the new addition to The Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

The Morgan began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan. His library was built between 1902 and 1906, adjacent to his New York residence at Madison Avenue and 36th Street. That building was designed by the legendary Charles McKim, of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White.

In 1928, an Annex building was built on the corner of the block. And, in 1988, an adjacent mid-19th-century brownstone was added to the complex.

Finally, in 1991 a garden court was constructed to unite the various elements of the Library and Museum.

By the late '90's it became clear that the Morgan needed much more space. A competition was held, and three architectural firms were selected from many who applied, and those three were invited to provide more detailed proposals of how they would add space to the Morgan.

When the selection committee reviewed the proposals, they didn't feel that any of the designs hit the nail on the head. So they turned to Renzo Piano, now one of the world's busiest and most highly acclaimed architects. Piano had refused to participate in the competition for the job.

When Piano met with the committee, he did not bring any designs. He simply brought ideas.

He described those ideas...how he would create "a village" for the Morgan, how he would build down below the street level, "burying" the great treasures of the Morgan, and how he would unite the Morgan's disparate buildings.

Hearing that story, I was reminded of the way in which Frank Gehry won the competition for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Gehry's designs were little more than "chicken scratches." But his ideas were so powerful, that he - too - immediately won the assignment.

All too often, we dress up mediocre ideas. They look better. Then we dress them up some more. They look even better. But, if they're not powerful at the core...if they don't resonate when they're not all dressed up, then we're missing the mark.

Renzo Piano's solution for the Morgan is one of the most creative, elegant, envigorating spaces I've ever seen. For those who don't believe that contemporary design can effectively complement traditional buildings, you need to see this one. And, if you want to see how a powerful idea can transform not only a space but also an institution, rush to Madison Avenue at 36th Street in New York and feast your eyes.