Yesterday I had occasion to go to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a Frank Gehry-designed facility that opened near downtown a couple of years ago. I used to work a stone's throw from another Gehry building, an art museum on the campus of the University of Minnesota, so I had no difficulty recognizing who had designed the Ruvo Center the first time I saw it. Wacky curves made of stainless steel? That's a Gehry.
I walked all around, taking pictures from every angle, and went through as much of the interior as they would let me (which turned out to be not very much, surprisingly--it's mostly off-limits unless you have some demonstrable reason for venturing past the lobby). Striking building, without argument. Whether you like it or not is a matter of taste. I would really like to explore the inside more, especially to see the rooms that abut the exterior curves--are they just as weird looking out as looking in?
You can see all the pictures I took here.
For the obligatory, minimal poker tie-in, try to spot the name of a former winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event on the donor wall (photo #22).
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6 comments:
Very cool building. I love buildings that are not designed in a cookie-cutter fashion. I hope that your brain health is A-ok!!
I saw some righteous person called it the eyesore of the month, but I loved it.
There are no rooms inside the Gehry part of the clinic - it's one big hall that's rented out for receptions, almost like a shell of a building.
Nice pics, thanks. If you haven't seen it, the episode of The Simpsons featuring Gehry is hilarious.
-Chuck
OK, I watched that Simpsons episode as recommended, available here:
http://bit.ly/n9dSdR
Best line comes at the very end. In the middle of a concert in a Gehry-designed hall, Homer bursts in and yells, "This building is a deathtrap! They cut corners everywhere!"
It is a fantastic looking building. I was very excited to see it a couple trips ago for the first time.
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