Jean Nouvel's Drama in Minneapolis

The impact that a significant piece of architecture can have on a place and culture is a matter of record dating back as far as the Egyptian pyramids, Aztec ruins, Knossos, etc. But the intentional creation of architecture as cultural magnet in less predictable urban locations is a product of modern urban planning. There have been recent successful and unsuccessful attempts to do this in the art museum world using the talents of marquee architects. The Guggenheim gives us two examples: Frank Gehry's Bilbao (a home run) and the Rem Koolhaas Las Vegas Guggenheim (a flop). Creating the Bilbao "build it and they will come" effect is not a simple exercise, and when it is done well it should be recognized. The Guthrie Theater (above, additional photos) in Minneapolis, designed by Jean Nouvel, is an excellent example of this effect, and it's unique in that it is not another art museum. It opened last June and has become a significant cultural destination for locals and tourists alike.

Minneapolis has a track record of innovation and design in its performing arts theaters dating back 50 years. It was here, in 1963, that theatrical producer Sir Tyrone Guthrie awarded the commission of a new type of performing arts theatre. Minneapolis was selected over six other cities for the facility, including the more likely candidate, Chicago. Guthrie was impressed by the active and civic nature of the Minneapolis community. A land grant from the T.B. Walker Foundation furthered the area's appeal. The modernist architect Ralph Rapson was hired as architect and the first major not-for-profit theater was born. True to Guthrie's belief that actors, not glitzy productions, should take center stage, the theater featured a thrust stage modeled on the Shakespearean approach of bringing audiences and actors closer together.

Fifty years later, the Guthrie Theater needed more space, a rework and a new location. This time Minneapolis took another gamble, giving the commission to French architect Jean Nouvel, who is widely recognized in Europe for the Opera House in Lyon, France, as well as Paris' Arab World Institute and Cartier Foundation, the Galeries Lafayette in Berlin and other important buildings. The Guthrie Theater is Nouvel's first building in the United States. It is an example of how architecture can energize a community and how a partnership with a local firm can yield terrific results. Nouvel's firm partnered with Twin Cities Architectural Alliance in a project that came in on time and on budget.

Located on a bank of the Mississippi River, the new Guthrie Theater is of a shape, color and scale that foreshadow the drama within its walls. There is a bold rotunda that echoes the cylindrical grain silos that line the Mississippi River valley, and the building includes chunky vertical and horizontal structures as well. The building's bluish skin can either advance or recede, depending on the color of sky and the time of day. On the exterior, oversized photos of the patron Guthrie and other theatrical personalities remind you that this place is more about characters, drama and the human condition than about architecture. It is an animated and dynamic structure that presents you with ever-changing form as you walk around it. Its color and shape bring excitement and drama to the surrounding industrial neighborhood and a contrast to the historic museums and granaries nearby that document the agrarian past.

As an architect, Jean Nouvel is hard to classify, and his buildings are often applauded more for their shapes and skins than for their functionality. But the Guthrie is supremely functional, as well as radical, on the interior. You might forget that you are in a performing arts complex as you are drawn up to the theaters from the ground floor. You are rewarded with exceptional views and vistas of the city and the river valley, both from the signature cantilevered bridge on the fourth floor, where there is outdoor seating, and from a ninth-floor lobby. The unexpected amenities of the complex include a learning center, retail spaces and restaurants that specialize in "farm to fork" locally sourced menu items (a twist on "Nouvel" cuisine). But the potency and uniqueness of the complex lie with its theatrical capabilities, which are world class in form and content. There are three theaters and stages of varying size and shape. The largest is for classic productions, holds 1,100 people, and is referential to Rapson's innovative seating design in the original Guthrie. The smallest theater seats 200 and is flexible for the needs of avant-garde performances. The facility is as much a community center as it is a destination for tourists.

Bold architecture stands out in Minneapolis, where wide streets and parking lots take up much of the visual space. Pedestrians are routed through the city via indoor passageways that offer protection from harsh weather but prevent any possibility of viewing unique architectural forms. Nouvel was apparently shocked by "zee tubes" in the city and chose to create Guthrie passageways that are nicely integrated with surrounding structures.

I had the opportunity to visit another Nouvel project this season, the Saint James Hotel in Bouliac, France. Click here for photos. In 1989 this Bordeaux hotel expanded and Nouvel designed the additions. The Saint James makes a good comparison to the Guthrie, and Nouvel's interest in "skins" is evident in the lattice steel screens that enclose the hotel's buildings. The architect's sensitivity to "place" is evident in his use of simple, classic shapes based on tobacco drying sheds in the area. Each structure, however, is unique and defies regimentation, which creates an appropriate drama that plays to a traditional French community.

Where to Stay
Though the Guthrie has amenities that include bars and restaurants, it does not have sleeping quarters. Our Twin Cities hotel recommendation is the Graves. Unlike many new designer hotels, this one has an utterly unique interior with a creative and warm use of materials, generous spaces, well-lit rooms with views and superb service. The restaurant Cosmos has received numerous well-deserved national awards, and even the breakfast menu will amaze you with its selection and creativity.

Best,