The Milwaukee Art Museum is a great building. Before visiting it I was a little skeptical due to the popularity of the building. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to all of the hype. However, it was fantastic. The approach was great. Everything about the building reflected a free nautical feeling. The views from the café were impressive as was the food. I was expecting some overpriced cafeteria-style cuisine but was surprised with a well-prepared lunch. Although there was an event later in the evening and the main entry was cluttered with equipment, it was a fantastic space.
As you enter via the skywalk, you begin to understand why the building captivates so many. The elegance of the support cables going up to the support tower seem light and airy while being inches in diameter. The louvers that spread out and retract depending on weather make the building seem like it could fly away at any moment.
Although the exterior was beautiful, my favorite parts of the whole design were the galleries. The steady repetition of the structure was organic, evoking the image of an exoskeleton rib cage. The subtle inlet of light kept the space light and comfortable. One nice detail was the handling of the HVAC system. The vents were placed in a recessed groove along the perimeter of the rooms. This made for a nice connection between vertical and horizontal planes while doing a great job of hiding the system.
I have to say that I didn’t go for the artwork contained in the building. Among the art connoisseurs and the hipsters I felt a little out of place. While they were discussing the artwork I was taking pictures of the structural connections and architectural details.
Calatrava’s building lives up to its reputation. It sits perched on the water ready to take off in flight at any moment. There are not enough examples like this. Anyone interested in architecture or great spaces in general should visit the Quadracci Pavilion.
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