SHOW OF THE WEEK: Broad Exhibit "Re-Envisions" East Lansing

Image above: DIGSAU's vision of what could replace parking lot #1, looking southwest from the corner of Albert and M.A.C.

Two events this weekend kick off East Lansing 2030/Collegeville Re-Envisioned, an exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (the Broad). This exhibit is the culmination of a year-long project sponsored by the Broad, to examine the future of East Lansing development.

The project was conceived and developed by Alec Hathaway, Associate Curator of Architecture and Design at the Broad. According to Hathaway, “[t]he project arose from conversations with Michael Rush, Founding Director of the museum, about our nascent architecture and design programming and what it could offer that would be relevant to the local community. [We are] hoping that the exhibition and the efforts around it will contribute uniquely to the ongoing discussions about the future of East Lansing, both as an urban environment and as a community.”

The project engaged eight different architecture/design firms to envision how East Lansing could be developed in the next decades. The firms represent a diverse cross-section of architecture, design, and planning firms, and include UrbanLab, Chicago; PLY Architecture, Ann Arbor; DIGSAU, Philadelphia; LEVENBETTS Studio, New York City; WXY Studio, New York City; Bionic Landscape, San Francisco; Stoss, Boston; and Min/Day of San Francisco and Omaha.      

Each firm developed a plan that was presented over the past year, and now the public will have the opportunity to see the plans and discuss the concepts. Hathaway notes that “[t]he whole purpose of the exhibition was to get outside perspective, to generate provocative ideas and to develop a platform for connecting various entities for developing the area’s future.” Hathaway also notes that “this does not represent the end, but only the beginning of our participation in the ongoing conversation.”  

The Exhibition officially opens on Friday, November 14 at 6:30 pm in the Julie and Edward J. Minskoff Gallery of the Broad. The exhibition will run from November 14 through April 26, 2015. 

On Saturday, November 15, there will be a 3 1/2 hour event held in the Broad’s Education Wing from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm entitled “UniverCITY,” focusing on a how a city and university both impact place – past, present, and future. Principals from four of the design firms will be on-hand to work with community members to envision aspects of the City's future, and for a round-table discussion: Jules Dingle and Jeff Goldstein of DIGSAU, Martin Felsen of UrbanLab, Jeff Day of Min/Day, and Claire Weisz of WXY.

Both events are free open to the public.

The “UniverCITY” event can be viewed here: http://broadmuseum.msu.edu/programs-events/programs-events/listing

More details about the exhibition can be viewed here:  http://broadmuseum.msu.edu/exhibitions/east-lansing-2030-collegeville-re-envisioned

Image courtesy of DIGSAU.

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