Figge Museum

A TOUCH OF GLASS

BY FRANK BURES
Photos by Christian Richters

Late in 2005, a strange thing happened in Iowa. Along the Mississippi, in the sleepy town of Davenport, a giant, glowing cube arose. The side said “Figge,” and inside was the town’s oddly fabulous collection of 3,500 paintings, sculptures and works on paper, including some of the world’s best Haitian and Mexican art.

The opening of the museum was a major event for the town, helping stake Davenport’s claim as a national destination. Not only was the art worth coming to see, but the building itself was perhaps an even bigger draw.

Museums are one of the most sought-after commissions by architects, and when the Figge was announced (named for the V. O. and Elizabeth Kahl Figge Foundation, whose $13.25 million donation helped fund the building), more than 50 firms from around the world wanted to build it. In the end, David Chipperfield, the renowned British architect known for his spare, minimalist designs, was chosen. The Figge would be his first completed civic work in the US.

“One of the reasons we wanted David,” says curator Michelle Robinson, “is because we knew he would do something completely different. We wanted a totally new approach. We didn’t want him borrowing from other museums.”

Chipperfield’s design was so fresh, it unnerved locals who couldn’t imagine how it would fit in with the city’s circa 19th century red-brick, Sullivanesque downtown. Despite opposition, the plan went through, and the new museum has put Davenport on the map. In fact, GQ magazine chose the Figge as one of the 12 best new museums in the country.

IT IS HARD to imagine how a translucent cube could fit into this sturdy Midwestern downtown. Drive along the waterfront, past the huge, ornate Victorian homes built during the town’s heyday as a wealthy lumber and shipping town. As you come down the riverfront, the Figge will, at first, seem out of place.

But the longer you look at it, the more it seems to fit. The building is the perfect size for the space. Its glass sides are tempered, and it doesn’t feel hard and impersonal like the International style glass towers of the ’60s and ’70s. Instead of defying the river, the Figge uses it to its advantage; it reflects the sunlight the same way the river does, and the building’s surface seems to mirror the water.

Climbing up the long stairs into the museum, Chipperfield’s understanding of light is obvious. The first floor lobby is filled with sunshine. Upstairs, the gallery floors have an airy feeling, and the rooms are framed with clean lines. The atmosphere is perfect for the Figge’s more vibrant works, like the bright Haitian market scenes and voodoo pantheons, as well as its darker Mexican colonial works.

MANY of the works in the Figge have been in Davenport for more than 100 years, thanks to local art lover and one-time Davenport mayor Charles Ficke. In the late 1800s, when Davenport was a burgeoning little river town, Ficke became interested in art and art history. He bought his first painting at an auction, and over the years he traveled the world, always returning with artwork. Once, he returned from Japan with 34 cases of art and antiquities weighing 7,200 pounds.

In 1925, Ficke donated his collection to the city’s new Davenport Municipal Art Gallery. As the years passed, both the town and the museum’s collection grew, until it was clear that a bigger space was needed. When the city decided to undertake a major downtown redevelopment, it was only natural to make the new Figge Art Museum its centerpiece.

ART & ARCHITECTURE

In addition to the Figge Art Museum (www.figgeartmuseum.org), many other great museums across the country are known for both their art and architecture.

Akron Art Museum

www.akronartmuseum.org The newly expanded museum recently opened its 63,000-square-foot, Coop Himmelb(l)au-designed addition in July.

The Getty Center

www.getty.edu Architect Richard Meier positioned this modernist, naturally lit cultural center, which includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, on a hilltop in Los Angeles.

Milwaukee Art Museum

www.mam.org Perched atop the new wing of this museum is a giant bird whose hydraulic wings flap at noon, the creation of nature-inspired architect Santiago Calatrava.