DIA Now - and Then

[EastsideAl]

You're going back two layers of the Kresge Court ... The in-between version was very disappointing. The lovely flagstones were replaced with a forgettable smooth floor and the furniture was like any coney in Detroit. A new sky light gave it a cold bluish cast and seemed to kill many of the replacement plants that always seemed sickly.

That first 'modernization' was pretty terrible, and removed much of what had been nice about the 'old' Kresge Court. Back when they were planning it I knew someone who worked pretty high up at the DIA and he was so outraged over the removal of the original flagstones that he threatened to file a complaint with the Historical Commission. But, apparently the floor wasn't protected and there was also some ADA-related concern about it. But that place ended up looking like it was designed by someone who did Burger Kings.

I do kind of like the Court the way it is now though [[although the couches are a bit much). And the fact that it is now often crowded and cacophonous is actually a sign of the comeback and overall health of the museum. It's no longer the empty hiding place I remember it being back during my high school years in the '70s