UWM’s Mo Zell on the significance of Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion 20 years on
Two decades later, the Quadracci Pavilion remains one of the most significant works of architecture in Milwaukee. The project changed the conversation about the city and fueled a vision of molding the area into an arts and entertainment destination. Simply referred to as “The Calatrava” by locals, the game-changing project has made the Milwaukee Art Museum a must-see for residents and tourists alike. The structure has been the backdrop remains a symbol of the city’s continuing renaissance.The iconic 2001 structure has become synonymous with the city’s skyline and is seen as the originator of an influx of modern buildings that includes the new Northwestern Mutual Tower and Populous-designed Fiserv Forum downtown. Mo Zell, the Senior Associate Dean of UW Milwaukee’s architecture department, says the impacts brought about by the $121 million pavilion are only beginning to be felt, and that she looks forward to seeing how the future of the city’s built environment will bear its influence. “Twenty years feels like a long time, but it’s not,” she explained. “It’s youthful in terms of building change. I’m super excited because I think we’re on the cusp of seeing that design culture pay off in the not too distant future. The next 10 years is where you are going to see a lot more of the translation of that design in the city. I think we’re poised to have a different kind of conversation around how buildings play a significant role for the city and what it means to have good d...
Two decades later, the Quadracci Pavilion remains one of the most significant works of architecture in Milwaukee. The project changed the conversation about the city and fueled a vision of molding the area into an arts and entertainment destination. Simply referred to as “The Calatrava” by locals, the game-changing project has made the Milwaukee Art Museum a must-see for residents and tourists alike. The structure has been the backdrop remains a symbol of the city’s continuing renaissance.
The iconic 2001 structure has become synonymous with the city’s skyline and is seen as the originator of an influx of modern buildings that includes the new Northwestern Mutual Tower and Populous-designed Fiserv Forum downtown. Mo Zell, the Senior Associate Dean of UW Milwaukee’s architecture department, says the impacts brought about by the $121 million pavilion are only beginning to be felt, and that she looks forward to seeing how the future of the city’s built environment will bear its influence.
“Twenty years feels like a long time, but it’s not,” she explained. “It’s youthful in terms of building change. I’m super excited because I think we’re on the cusp of seeing that design culture pay off in the not too distant future. The next 10 years is where you are going to see a lot more of the translation of that design in the city. I think we’re poised to have a different kind of conversation around how buildings play a significant role for the city and what it means to have good d...
