PASADENA
This city, like all cities with a history
that stretches back farther than the advent of the strip mall, is
an amalgam of old and new: the stately mansions on Orange Grove,
the spanking new Paseo Colorado mall, the facades of Old Pasadena
that now house the likes of the Cheesecake Factory and Pottery
Barn.
At Brookside Park, in the shadow of the
Rose Bowl, another blend of Pasadena's past and present is slowly
taking shape.
The past is represented by three
adjoining greenhouse buildings on the grounds of Brookside Park
which are now being refurbished for a role as part of the new
Kidspace Museum. The new element is a gently angular contemporary
structure that, together with the greenhouse buildings, will
complete the museum complex.
Silver Lake-based architect Michael
Maltzan hopes that the children who visit the new museum will
learn lessons not only from the exhibits inside the buildings but
from the buildings themselves.
The museum's blended design will teach
children that old and new not only can happily co-exist but can
unite to create a distinct kind of public space, Maltzan said.
"What's really important is that you
can in this building imagine a way of putting history and the
contemporary world together that creates a third place, maybe a
more compelling or stronger place.'
Maltzan's Kidspace design has been on
display at the Venice Biennale, a major international architecture
exhibition, since Sept. 8. Kidspace is the first children's museum
ever to be included in the Biennale. The contemporary structure,
while bearing little obvious similarity to the greenhouse
structures, was designed with the existing structures very much in
mind, Maltzan said.
For example, the roof heights of the new
structure relate mathematically to the existing structure.
Skylights are used in both buildings, though in different
configurations.
"What we tried to do is create
relationships, some of which will be obvious, some which will be
revealed on repeat visits over time, and some of which are almost
felt more intuitively,' Maltzan said.
Construction began on the project in
November 2001 and is expected to be completed in January 2004,
said Buff Megaw, development director of Kidspace.
Construction costs are budgeted at $18
million, with total costs for the new museum, including new
exhibits, estimated at $30 million. The project was funded by
donations from foundations, corporations and individuals, Megaw
said.
Plans for the new museum sparked
controversy several years ago when neighbors objected to the scale
of the project and questioned whether the lease for the site had
been properly granted by the city.
After a court decision affirming the
lease and a redesign that scaled down the size of the new wing,
the project moved forward.
The new complex will allow the museum to
expand its exhibits and educational programs.
The old greenhouse buildings, formerly
the Fannie E. Morrison Horticultural Center, will house geology
and nature exhibits as well as a cafe and administrative offices.
The contemporary building will house art, engineering and
construction exhibits and a 150-seat theater.
A 2.2-acre landscaped garden is planned
for the slope behind the complex.
Kidspace has been located at the McKinley
School site on El Molino Avenue for the last 22 years. "It's
just going to be a wonderful gift for children and families and
really the whole San Gabriel Valley,' Megaw said.
Cindy Chang can be reached at (626)
578-6300, Ext. 4586, or by e-mail at cindy.chang@sgvn.com.
