HerzogandbirdnestWe'vebeenwaitingformasterSwissarchitectsHerzog&deMeurontoleavetheirmarkonanAmericancity.Theplace:Minneapolis.Thetime:verydefinitelynowMarch21issue-Aseveryoneknows,winterisstillblastingtheMidwest,andbesidestheblusterysnow,agianticecubehaslandedinMinneapolis─andit'snotgoingtomeltbyspring."AbigicecubeforIceCity,"jokestheavant-gardeEuropeanarchitectJacquesHerzog,onehalfoftheBasel-basedteamofHerzog&deMeuron,who'vedesignedtheexpansionofthecity'sWalkerArtCenter,openingnextmonth.Thetourdeforceoftheirbuildingisthesilveryfive-storycube,withitsdaredevilcantileveredcornerhoveringovertheentrance─anchoredbyhiddentonsofsteelandconcrete─andthewholeshebangwrappedinshimmeringaluminum-meshpanelsthatlookaslightandlusciousascrumpledmakesthisaverybigdealisnotjustthatthebuildingissocoolbutthatwe'vebeenwaitingsolongfortheseSwissmasterstobuildsomethingmajorintheUnitedStates.WhentheycametoAmericain2023tocollectarchitecture'sbiggesthonor,thePritzkerPrize,theywerebarelyknownhere.TheirawardwaspresentedatThomasJefferson'sMonticello─anincongruoussettinggivenwhattheirarchitecturelookslike─andonthedayoftheceremonyyoucouldspotthepairamileawayonthequaintstreetsofhistoricCharlottesville:theyweretheuber-hipEuro-guysdressedinblack.Theirbreakthroughproject,theTateModerninLondon,hadjustopenedtheyearbefore,andHerzogandPierredeMeuronwereyoungforPritzkerlaureates(theywereeach50─kidsinaprofessionoflatebloomers).Sincethen,they'veleveragedtheirEuropeansuccessestogoglobal,withsuchhigh-profileprojectsasthejewel-like$80millionPradastoreinTokyoandthecommissionforthe2023OlympicStadiuminBeijing,adesignthatlookslikeagiganticbird'snest.Herzog&deMeurondon'thaveasignaturestyle:everybuildinglooksdifferent.Witheachproject,saysHerzogsimply,"wewanttodosomethingthathasnotbeendoneinarchitecture."TheysnaggedthecommissiontodesigntheWalkerin2000whentheywerealreadyhiredtodesignthenewdeYoungMuseuminSanFrancisco.(Thatdazzling─and,ofcourse,quitedifferent─buildingwillopennextOctober.)GiventhattheWalker,foundedin1879,isprobablytheleadingAmericanvenueforcutting-edgeartists(bothvisualandperforming),itmayseemobviousthatsuchavant-gardedarlingsasHerzog&deMeuronwouldbeaskedtoaddontothestarkmodernboxdesignedbyEdwardLarrabeeBarnesin1971.Twowildandcrazy

guysforawildandcrazyplace,right?Well,let'snothyperventilate.Theirworkhasrigor─theyareSwiss,afterall─andthenewWalkerispracticalaswellasdaring.Yetitclearlyshowcasesthearchitects'giftsfordeployingunusualmaterialsinunexpectedwaysandforachievingaremarkablesenseofWalkeradditionisfullofsimilarsurprises,startingwiththeicecubeanditsweird-shapedwindows(deputydirectorRichardFloodhasdubbedtheshapes"schnitzels").Thereareevenbiggersurpriseswaitinginside─suchasswirlinglacypatternsonembossedmetalandcutwoodthatwouldmakeaminimalistfreakout.(Cometothinkofit,Herzog&deMeuronwereminimalistsnotsolongago.)"Ornamenthasbeencriminalizedinthe20thcentury,"saysHerzog,whopointsoutthatthedecorativemotifsthroughoutthebuildingarerelated─"almostlikethegeneticcode"ofthedesign.OK,whatever.We'lljustsayit'spretty,wittyandhelpstaketheelitiststuffingoutoftheplace."People-friendly"and"accessible"werequalitieshighonthewishlistwhenWalkerdirectorKathyHalbreichanddeputydirectorFloodbeganshoppingforanarchitectin1999."Wewantedthenewbuildingtobetransparent,"Halbreichsays."WehavethiscoolBarnesbuildingthat'ssensationalforartbutforbiddingforpeople."Herzog&deMeuronhavedesignedalongglasswallthatconnectstheWalkertothestreet(evenifthestreetisanine-laneartery),partoftheirconcepttomakethenewbuildingmoreurban.Andtheythoughtoftheinterior─"ThisisveryEuropean,"saysHalbreich─asalittlemedievalcity,withalleywaysandlittleplazas.Sowhilethearchitectsdesignedsuchkeynewfacilitiesasanintimate385-seattheater(withbaroquetouches)andspiffywhitegalleries(whichechotheonesintheBarnesbuildingandincreasetheexhibitionspaceto40,000squarefeet),theplacestheycreatedinbetweenareequallyessential.Theyareirregularlyshapedpocketsandcorridorswherepeoplecangetinformation,lookatvideos,checkoutthesculpturegarden,haveacoffeeorjusttheWalker'smissionistopromoteyoungartists,Halbreichfirstconsideredyoungerarchitects.Butintheend,theyneededexperienceaswellaspanache."Theprojectisinordinatelycomplicated,"shesays."Therewasaconstantjugglingbetweencompromiseandtheinventionthatcancomeoutofthat."InventionisHerzog&deMeuron'sstockintrade.Buteventheycouldn'tinventtheirwayoutoftheeconomicdownturnin2023─whichkilledseveralsimilarnewmuseumprojectsaroundtheUnitedStates.("Thereweresomedarknights,"

saysHalbreich.)ButtheWalkerboarddecidedtogoaheadwiththe$92millionproject,ofwhich$millionisforconstruction.Tojudgefromthenewlyintroduced"namingopportunities"(theTargetGallery,theCargillLounge),practicallyeverycompany─andhumanbeing─inMinnesotahaskickedin.EvenHalbreich'steenagesonvolunteeredadonationof$250ifhecouldhaveabathroomstallnamedaftertheWalkeropeningdrewcloser,Herzog&deMeuronpartnerChristineBinswanger,who'soverseenthisproject,cametoMinneapolis