A mid-summer visit to the Bloch Building, the Steven Holl designed addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.

This is a building that tries hard and succeeds, for the most part.
According to the locals, there was a big fuss made over the addition to the beloved Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The area designated for the addition isn¹t very easy to work with, bound on one side by a highway and having to respect the existing, traditional structure. Plus, the ground slopes quite a bit; not a traditional flat, square gallery setting.

Overall, the building is quite striking, and meets several concurrent challenges. First and foremost, it¹s beautiful in its serenity and simplicity. Plus, the building is easy to use. Parking was a snap, with a well-lit and accessible garage included on the grounds. One immediate feature of the parking garage is the overhead, natural lighting.

The artist Walter De Maria¹s work One Sun / 34 Moons features 34 occuli that serve as lenses and create patterns on the parking garage floor below. Within the parking garage the light is natural, yet diffused. It’s a welcome difference from most dreary parking garages. The museum recognized that most visitors would arrive by car so the garage entrance is given prominence, rather than an afterthought.

The structure itself is a series of white facades that subtly change color in response to natural light, time of day, and reflections from the surrounding foliage and artwork. Perhaps the best presentation of the building occurs at night, when the walls shimmer in a luminescent glow.

Technically speaking, the building has no formal front and back. It measures about 840 long but is no more than 100 feet wide. It’s made of 6,000 glass planks ranging in height from 8 feet to 16 feet. These planks reinforce the slinky, ever-shifting shape of the building. The space seems to constantly change dimension. I visited the museum when it had been open only about two weeks. Yet the reflecting pool had already become a popular late night gathering spot. Some locals complained that during the day the building resembles a warehouse rather than a vessel of important art. However, at night the building has a powerful, resonant presence.

Within the building itself there are several ramps. The ramps dominate the public spaces, providing many facets and perspectives. The soaring canopies created by the ramps appeared weightless; visitors seemed to float quietly. The light inside was soft, bright and relaxing.

The color palette is very simple: translucent walls, black stone floors, metal and glass fixtures. It was subtle and restrained.

From my untrained eye it appeared that the floor, although beautiful was unevenly colored. The stone varied from technical black to dark gray in uneven waves. However, within the galleries the flooring changed to a beautiful dark parquet. If it was possible the construction saved money on the hallway flooring, the money was definitely spent in the galleries.

Speaking of the galleries, they are difficult spaces. Each room is shaped differently, and cascade down a gentle descent. Some of the spaces worked better than others.

The Museum is showing two small exhibits, plus a collection of clue-chip artists, probably a sampling of the very best works. In some spots the traffic from one room to the next was congested. Some of the rooms also led to odd dead ends. Perhaps subsequent exhibits will eliminate those issues.

Overall, the Bloch Building is a terrific addition to a beloved cultural institution. Steven Holl nobly addressed many challenges to the problematic site. The project has already attracted international attention and acclaim. Many Pompei A.D. staffers are planning a visit to Kansas City with the expressed purpose of exploring the space for themselves.

The photos accompanying this text give an indication of the form. But they do not fully convey the tranquil, uplifting experience of walking the space and encountering the ever shifting planes of light and texture. It is a welcome addition to the Kansas City cultural community.