After weeks of blowback to a controversial plan by MoMA to demolish its acclaimed neighbor, the museum announced that its newly hired design consultants will be allowed to consider integrating the former Folk Art Museum into its expansion plans.
It seems as though the vocal opposition to the Museum of Modern Art's plans led by design critics, architects, and social media campaigns may not have fallen on deaf ears.
"In a board meeting on Thursday morning, the directors [of MoMA] were told that a board committee had selected the design firm Diller Scofidio & Renfro to handle the [museum's] expansion and to help determine whether to keep any of the existing [American Folk Art Museum] structure," reports Robin Pogrebin.
“'We’re going to try to create the best building we can create,”'Jerry I. Speyer, the real estate developer and MoMA chairman, said in an interview. 'Whether we include Folk Art or not, as is, is an open question.'”
"That question, MoMA said, will be guided by the extension’s architects. 'The principals of Diller Scofidio & Renfro have asked that they be given the time and latitude to carefully consider the entirety of the site, including the former American Folk Art Museum building, in devising an architectural solution to the inherent challenges of the project,' said Glenn D. Lowry, MoMA’s director, in a memo sent on Thursday to his trustees and staff. 'We readily agreed to consider a range of options, and look forward to seeing their results.'”
FULL STORY: To Raze or Not? MoMA Rethinks Plan
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