The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is itself work of art. The somewhat recently redesigned MAD building is modern and does a better job of representing the intensely awesome art that is on display within it than the building it replaced. The architect, Brad Cloepfil, called his work “editing” because the building was worked on while it was still standing (Robin Pogrebin, “Renovation Slowly Adds Some Light to Lollipops”, New York Times, 5 June 2007).One of the most radical changes was the opening up of many rooms by cutting away part of the building. Cloepfil then filled these openings with glass as to create views of Central Park and more importantly shed some of the much needed light on all of the artwork. The old building was ill equipped to be used as an art museum because the inside held little space for large exhibits. Now, thanks to Cloepfil’s work, the building can easily and efficiently function as a museum, with its own restaurant too.

Otherwise, after personally observing the building, inside and out, I feel confident in saying that it is a breathtaking work of art. From the outside, the building draws the attention of any passerby because of the added glass and obvious radiance. It seems as if all of Columbus Circle should stop and observe the building because of its uniqueness and utter beauty. On the other hand, the innards of the building are what make it so unbelievable. The architect changed the building into a curator’s dream. The large glass windows bring in warm sunlight throughout the day that seems to be much appreciated by the perusing visitors.  As I traveled from floor to floor I saw how the natural light didn’t only bring warmth but appeared to save money on lighting for the museum. Furthermore, the building has a lot less in it because of the “300 tons of concrete” that were taken from the site while construction was still in progress (Robin Pogrebin, “Renovation Slowly Adds Some Light to Lollipops”, New York Times, 5 June 2007). For use as an art museum the new MAD building has been equip with the most efficient floor plans to maximize space. Another important aspect of Cloepfil’s glass additions is the view of Central Park and the surrounding city. I realized his train of thought and concluded that on warm sunny days, during any part of the year, no one wants to be inside. The best way to bring the outside inside was his glass additions. Now as the people visiting the museum stroll leisurely from exhibit to exhibit they can see the outside and feel the warmth. The building’s new design is not only attractive in appearance but attracting in terms of bringing people inside. All year round the museum will see jubilant visitors coming and going thanks to the work of Brad Cloepfil and his fellow architects.