Bush isn’t going to declassify anything of interest, like ever, so no one is going to visit his stupid presidential library at Southern Methodist University. I think the entire student body and faculty is humiliated that the library is even going to be associated with their school. And the architects are hilarious.
Besides fashioning a narrative that meets Mr. Bush’s approval, PRD has to package it in an innovative and appealing way for the tens of thousands of expected visitors.
The Virginia-based firm has not worked on other presidential libraries, and its role in the Bush project had not been disclosed until inquiries by The Dallas Morning News. But it has been involved since last summer, brandishing local ties rooted in the creation of the Texas State History Museum in Austin – which Mr. Bush dedicated in 2001 in the name of his political mentor, the late Bob Bullock, former lieutenant governor.
Mr. Murphy, who founded PRD, said his task is to do more than just recount events.
“We’re not really just trying to put a front cover and back cover around eight years of a presidency,” he said. “We have a much bigger story about America and about the history of the presidency and about the American experience. … We’ve got a great, great, great story.”
Mr. Murphy said he isn’t ready to say what he might use in the museum to highlight the Republican president’s life, works and policies.
And the main architect, Robert A.M. Stern of New York, dean of the Yale School of Architecture, said his plans are only in the initial stages, with at least two buildings – one for the library and museum and the other for a policy institute – slated at SMU Boulevard and Central Expressway.
Many presidential libraries “are big and bombastic. Quite a few have been dull. With Bush, there will be no bombast or boredom,” Mr. Stern said in an interview with Architect magazine.
I remind Bob Stern…no one is going to visit this stupid library or care one bit about the lack of bombast. It’s funny to even consider a ‘library’ dedicated to someone as moronic as George W. Bush.
Perhaps it would be fitting for us to make them a sign along the lines of
GEORGE READS HERE
“But I don’t have red hair!”.
I don’t know why they need an architect. They could just roll up a porta-pottie, slap a copy of “My Pet Goat” inside and landscape with brush…done.
They also need to house the flight jacket and codpiece.
may I suggest the Atrium?
I believe this will be the first thing ever created, as opposed to destroyed, because of George W. Bush’s presidency.
He created legions of partisan Democrats.
Fabooj
AP reporting Obama has expanded his delegate lead, picked up 7 more delegates from Iowa- most of Edwards. Their new tally: Obama 1,610 Clinton 1,496
porta potty behind Sr’s place would be best.
If they are going to tell the great great great story of W in architecture – it should start by having visitors shoved into the midst of a drunken frat party (nothing inducing organ failure however).
Then there should be a gaping hole with a shimmering holoscan of the unread PIB over it….
the room then fills with smog, partially floods and becomes unbearably hot while a recording reassures the visitor that the science is still out on Global warming…
Assuming a sudden unseasonal or extra-powerful storm does not delay them, visitors can next go to the Constitution shredding room – it’s the quaintest part of the museum!
Finally visitors should “leave” by way of a muddy maze surrounded by the photos and life stories of all those killed in Iraq – from all nations involved while they are constantly reminded that we knew where Bin Laden was a Tora Bora and Bush sent us to Iraq instead.
After hours walking through the maze, visitors can emerge onto the flight deck – mission accomplished! However they will not be allowed to leave the museum or speak to their families until after a photo – op with W himself.
No one could have predicted a simple visit to the W Presidential Library would be so painful…
A second on SusanD’s idea.
To complete the presidential scenario, each visitor should ride in his own giant private plane and scurry around the country in search of The Very Safest Place.
Let’s not forget the obligatory kowtowing.
Library, hah – house of horrors.
“Many presidential libraries “are big and bombastic. Quite a few have been dull. With Bush, there will be no bombast or boredom,” Mr. Stern said in an interview with Architect magazine.”
How very bombastic, pretentious and boring.
The George W. Bush library should be relocated to Baghdad where I am sure it will be honored for what it truly is….
I suggest Paraguay, next to the mountain of coke he’s gonna be living on top of.
the paraguay gambit is pretty convoluted. it seems that not only is it close by the u.s. mariscal estigarribia afb, but it’s also near a large land holding, 1.5m acres or so, of chimpy’s bff, the right reverend sun myung moon. there have been rumours and undercurrents of illegal activities involving money laundering and tax evasion as well.
not to mention the huge guarani aquifer that it’s astride, as well as the bolivian border and and extensive natural gas reserves.
it’s all about control of energy resources. BushCo™ will make out like the bandits they are… the personification evil.
I drove thru Texas once (Amarillo) on old Route 66 in 1962. I never intend to texas again. Their laws are un-American. I’d call them ‘rednecks’ but I’d be insulting rednecks.
I’ve got to imagine that the building for Bush’s presidential library should be the easiest thing in the world to design. It’s gonna be a big, reflecting black-glass cube with no doorways, windows or any other entrances visible. It would capture the zeitgeist for the Bush administration precisely.
My guess is that someone will embezzle the money, and then they will claim that the built the library elsewhere in an undisclosed location, that they can’t reveal for national security reasons.
Well I do know one thing that will be in the so called Library. A lifesize bronze of Hank Williams Sr….no I’m not kidding. A Montana sculptor knew Jr. loved country and western music and decided to do this life size bronze of Williams and present it to W…which he did in 2005 I believe, anyway the first thing bush said was that this wonderful statue would be the first thing he’d dedicate to his Library when the time came…and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Can’t get much more preznidential than a bronze of Hank Williams Sr. in your library. Maybe his library can have a whole cast of bronze characters that W jest loves..Condi, Pooty-Putin, Rummy, Alberto G, A MIghty Eagle Soaring and so on…have to have something to fill up the damn place.