Skyscraper Museum to open in October.The Skyscraper Museum marked the start of construction with a kick-off event at 39 Battery Place, where the museum is scheduled to open in late October 2003. This will be the museum's first permanent home after six years of presenting exhibitions and programs in temporary spaces in New York's historic financial district. The ceremony was launched by director Carol Willis, who spoke of the museum's commitment to Downtown's history and by supporters who spoke of the Museum's role in the cultural revival of lower Manhattan. Guest speakers, in order of appearance, were Philip E. Aarons -- principal and founding partner of Milllennium Partners, James Gill -- chairman of Battery Park City Authority The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a New York State public benefit corporation whose mission is to plan, create, co-ordinate and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side , Anita Contini - v.p. and director for memorial, cultural and civic programs for the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., Daniel R. Tishman -- chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Tishman Construction Corp., C. Virginia Fields C. Virginia Fields is the former Borough President of Manhattan, elected in 1997 and reelected in 2001. Her term expired in January 2006. C. (Clara) Virginia Fields was born in Birmingham, Alabama circa 1946 and received her B.A. - Manhattan Borough President, Kate Levin - commissioner, NYC NYC abbr. New York City NYC New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Alan Gerson - City Council Member, District 1. The event was also attended by Joseph Seymour, executive director of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, self-sustaining public corporation established in 1921 by the states of New York and New Jersey to administer the activities of the New York–New Jersey port area, which has a waterfront of c. , Robert Tierney, chairman of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, as well as museum members, colleagues from downtown museums, and members of the press. Speeches were followed by a hard-hat tour led by Carol Willis and the Museum's architects Roger Duffy and Scott Duncan from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The SOM design is a dazzling work of contemporary architecture featuring a permanent gallery for the core exhibit Skyscraper/City, a gallery for changing exhibitions, a bookstore, and a mezzaine for staff offices. The design features polished stainless-steel floors and ceilings that reflect the floor-to-ceiling exhibition cases into endless verticals, generating a sense of towering volumes. A large-scale "light box" by artist James Turrell will form the Museum's entrance. This will be Turrell's first outdoor public artwork in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , and it will be an icon of light and hope in the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. The Skyscraper Museum is grateful to the following companies and firms that have donated, designed, and are building the new home: Millennium Partners, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Tishman Construction Corporation, and the Battery Park City Authority. Construction has been made possible with major public support from: The City of New York, the New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It comprises 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as balance of power against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. , Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, the Battery Park City Authority, the New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905-1996), with backing from Governor Nelson , and foundation and private funding. The Skyscraper Museum is the first and only museum in the world devoted to the history of skyscrapers and skylines. |
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