Site of Grand Avenue; museum would go next to Disney Hall
Watching media outlets try to get information about Eli Broad's proposed museum for downtown may be more entertaining than seeing what actually gets built. Let's recap so far as to what's happened between all the newspapers as they try to out-scoop the competition:
---March 2010: The Architect's Newspaper, which led the reporting when Broad was looking at other sites, reports that Martha Welborne, Managing Director of the Grand Avenue Committee, which advises on development of The Grand, has said that: "Broad has decided to locate his new art museum within the project." Within hours of that story coming out, powerful publicity firm Casey & Sayre, which reps the Grand Avenue Committee, starts working the phones, disputing Welborne's quotes. The AN changes the text in its article on its web site, altering the story. Now the article is a bit more murky, with Welborne stating that "Broad wants to locate his new art museum within the project." AN either muzzled by publicists or mistaken: -1.
---May 2010: Uh, it appears that the same source is talking to both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Within hours, both papers have a story out indicating that Broad has picked six architects to design the project. But the New York Times story is slightly different: Their piece states that Broad has narrowed its list down to two architects. Hours later, the LAT comes out with a second, and similar story to the NYT. But the fact that NYT beat LAT in its own backyard isn't unnoticed by the media. Via ArtInfo: "In the New York Times, architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff has penned what might be his first investigative piece for the paper, drawing on his L.A. connections — he was formerly the Los Angeles Times's critic — to reveal a wealth of specifics about where the project stands." NYT scooping LAT: +2
---June 2010: The LA Times comes back with its scoop, reporting that Eli Broad wants the New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design his art museum. Via today's story: "The sources, all of whom asked to remain anonymous, citing the confidentiality of the private architectural competition Broad has been overseeing for the museum, said the billionaire philanthropist had indicated that he favored the firm after hearing pitches late last month from six of the leading architecture offices in the world. One of its founders, Elizabeth Diller, was reportedly due to arrive in Los Angeles on Monday evening for meetings with Broad." Did anyone see the LAT skulking around the airport last night? Because we're waiting to see a TMZ photo of Diller arriving at the gate. LAT Nearly Getting Airport Gate Info: +2.
So what's next? Obviously all these outlets want two pieces of info: 1. Where Eli Broad is going to put his museum. 2. Which architect will design the museum. But we're betting a dark horse may actually get the news: Bloomberg, a random NYT blog, LABJ.
· Grand Ave Museum Archives [Curbed LA]
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