The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Museums
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Mar 9th
The plain facade of the 1901 mansion that houses this lesser-known museum gives no hint of the delights it conceals. Venture inside to marvel at the centerpiece of the interior, a dramatic four-storey courtyard surrounded by a skylight, and filled with seasonal blooms from the museum`s own greenhouse. The galleries that spread out from here hold an idiosyncratic assortment of European, Asian, and American art assembled to suit the museum`s unconventional founder and namesake. More >
The Currier Museum of Art
Mar 9th
The industrial city of Manchester conceals an unexpected but delightful surprise: one of the best small art museums in New England. The Currier Museum of Art, named for its founder, New Hampshire governor Moody Currier, not only houses impressive American and European collections, but also includes among its holdings an off-site Frank-Lloyd Wright house. More >
Hayward Gallery, London
Mar 9th
Threatened with demolition at various times in the 1980s and 1990s, the Hayward Gallery – a Brutalist concrete culture bunker on London`s South Bank – has survived to become admired by younger generations for whom its bizarre, defensive architecture is an adventure rather than a threat. The gallery has a long gestation and was finally built, after long delays, during the 1960s. More >
Schaulager – Basel, Switzerland
Oct 9th
The Emanuel Hoffmann-Stiftung foundation, based in Basel, began collecting art in 1933 and has works by nearly 150 artists. Originally these were displayed in the Basel Museum of Fine Arts or Contemporary Art Museum. yet a major question remained: what to do with the invisible 99 per cent of the collection?
Local architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron responded with a new kind of space for art, neither a museum nor a warehouse but something in between. Globally celebrated for their art galleries, the Swiss pair have become renowned for their tendency to experiment with new forms. More >
de Young Museum – California
Oct 8th
After the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the de Young Museum was badly damaged and faced an uncertain future. Having first attempted to finance the repair with public funds, the museum’s directors undertook a record-breaking, private, fundraising effort to build a new home for the collection.
Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are well-known for their work with innovative cladding systems, and the de Young Museum is a stunning example. Both inside and out, the visitor is aware of the building’s ‘rain-screen’ skin of perforated and stamped copper panels. The museum is made up of three parallel rectangles, skewed and parted to allow the landscape to slide in alongside galleries and circulation spaces. More >
