Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony attracted more than 400 people and marked a gathering of the project’s VIPs. The museum’s namesake couple, its architect, London-based Zaha Hadid, and a slew of MSU administrators attended.

“Whenever I come back, I’m reminded of what a great university this is,” said Eli Broad, the billionaire alumnus who has donated $28 million for the museum’s construction and art acquisition, shortly before participating in the ground breaking. “(Edythe and I) consider it a privilege to give back.”

Coming together

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, who took part in the groundbreaking, said the ceremony showed the university’s commitment to constructing the museum.

Estimates put its cost in the $40 million to $45 million range. It first was announced in June 2007, and is expected to take about 20 months to complete.

“We’re really excited about today,” Simon said at an event at Kellogg Center prior to the ceremony. “It’s no longer just an idea, but something that will become a reality.”

Broad said he chose to donate money for an art museum for three reasons: education, art and architecture. He said the museum will be a valuable asset to both MSU and the surrounding communities.

“It’s a great day for the university,” Broad said. “It gets an iconic piece of architecture that’ll expand the art program here at the university, for students, for faculty; but more importantly, it’ll draw people to this campus from throughout the world.”

Hadid, who in 2004 received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious architecture awards, said she was encouraged by an acquaintance to submit a bid to design the museum.

She said Joseph Giovannini, a former art and architecture reporter for The New York Times, convinced her to enter the international competition MSU held to find an architect for the museum. Giovannini organized that competition.

Hadid also said she was motivated because she values education and culture as staples of society. The museum will be Hadid’s second project in the U.S., with the other being the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati.

“This project particularly is exciting to me,” Hadid said during her remarks at the ceremony. “Culture is one very important aspect of this journey for kids or grown-ups.”

From the ground up

The museum will be situated across from Student Services and primarily will be constructed of steel, concrete and glass.

At least once during the years leading up to the ceremony, Hadid was asked to rework her design in a way that would keep the museum’s budget as low as possible and make its pleated exterior more resilient during inclement Michigan weather.

The end result is a 46,000 square foot, three-level building that will be about 69 percent gallery space. The remaining space will be administrative offices, seating areas and educational space.

Craig Kiner, Hadid’s project director for the museum, said the building was designed to correlate art and community.

“Art and cultural buildings tend to be more dramatic,” Kiner said. “They tend to make more … of an impact on their context and be seen to offer, I suppose, an optimism to our clients and to the areas.”

Various groups will be working during the museum’s construction to bring everything to fruition, including a museum advisory board created last semester to help the university through the process.

Steve Noll, an MSU alumnus and Chicago-based patent attorney who serves on the board, said it will be working with the university during the construction process.

“We’re trying to … coordinate the role of the museum in the community,” Noll said. “Obviously, we’ll
be consulted on the direction that the collection takes and what types of exhibits will be shown.”

Hadid’s firm also will have a hand in construction matters, Kiner said.

Funds needed

Simon said the university has continued fundraising and expects to see further improvement in light of the groundbreaking.

Mark Terman, director of principle gifts for University Development, said although progress has been made, the university still is near its Jan. 20 estimate of about $33 million.

“There’s been some progress because, you know, when things become a reality, people want to be able to get on the bandwagon,” Simon said. “And I think until the groundbreaking was announced, the people were always a little bit uncertain that this project could go forward.”

Broad said he has faith the university will reach its fundraising goal.

“I have confidence they’ll get there,” Broad said. “They’re well on their way home, and as the economy improves, it’ll be a little easier.”