#FacadeFridays – Only 1/5 of the original McKim Mead & White designed Brooklyn Museum was ever constructed – if completed, it would have been the largest museum structure in the world. These photos document the phases of construction between 1895 and 1926. The second photo shows a half-constructed museum, with the sole West Wing, which opened in 1897, and the Central Pavilion, completed in 1905. The East Wing wing (1910) is seen in the third photo; notice the bright white of the new wing's facade. The court on the northeast side was delayed due to World War I and not finished until 1926! The final image shows an early perspective of the original plan, which was never completed. The museum had a monumental staircase leading up to the central pavilion but by the 1930s plans to create a more "direct" entrance were floated. The Municipal Art Commission found their chance in 1934 when Mckim Mead & White principals were out of the country and demolished the staircase, greatly modifying the design of the museum. The auditorium was also demolished to create a new entrance on the ground floor. In 2004 the museum opened a new $63 million glass entrance pavilion and public plaza where the staircase was originally located. The entrance pavilion is supposed to recall the original staircase, but we would have preferred the staircase in the original design. What do you think? Tap the images above to purchase a fine-art print or visit our website for high-resolution views of the construction phases. #brooklynmuseum #danielchesterfrench #beauxarts #brooklynny #brooklynbotanicgardens #easternparkway #prospectpark #prospectparkbk #architecture #brooklynhistory #nyhistory #nychistory #architecturehistory #nyc #flatbush #flatbushave #grandarmyplaza #urbanism #nycurbanism (at Brooklyn Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2XCuEan7QW/?igshid=cceporb64fxt
