By Caitlyn Crenshaw–
As Cameron Monzon aimed his camera toward the busy students walking past the Speed Art Museum, the sounds of construction on the new addition to the museum washed through his headphones. When asked of the construction, Monzon, a senior photography major, said, “I like it.”
The museum is planned to open the first of the year in 2016, eventually costing approximately $79 million. Gregg Gardiner, who is in charge of the museum’s construction, commented that the new addition “will allow for more interaction and flexibility.”
Gardiner believes that one of the many advantages of the design for the museum is that it will be “more transparent so students walking will be able to see into the space.” Transparency of the architecture will promote students and the community to discover new experiences and perspectives of the museum’s art.
Monzon said, “From what I’ve seen of the plans I like the architecture and that you’ll be able to look into it from the outside.”
The construction, once completed, will add a cafe, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a gift shop, a piazza and a plethora of gallery and special exhibition space. Gardiner said, “The space will add more interaction and much more flexibility for events that the museum holds.”
The completion of the museum will “hopefully attract a younger crowd to the museum” and “add more curiosity,” said Monzon. Through the new art museum addition, students – from finance to exercise science majors – and the community can enjoy and appreciate the refinement and statement of not only the art the building exhibits, but the architecture of the building itself.
The name of the new Speed Art Museum addition has yet to be announced and construction is still in the adolescent phases.
For now the students, faculty and community wait for the months and years of money, meetings and management to come to reward. In 2016 the freshmen class of the University of Louisville will walk from Third Street to the Ekstrom Library and can enjoy the grandeur, art and architecture of the new Speed Art Museum.
PHOTOS BY CAITLIN WILLIAMS, The Louisville Cardinal
