The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art houses one of the largest collections of art in the world. However, have you ever wondered what else you might find as you roam the halls? There are some cool things that you might not be expecting when you visit this museum.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Room
The Frank Lloyd Wright Room is a somewhat out of the way gallery that you may mistake for a simple room. However, this is the only domestic space designed by Wright that is on display in New York. The room is based on the living room that Wright designed for a family in Minnesota with all of the oak furniture placed exactly as it was in the house.
The Beaux-Arts Bronze Lampposts
The lamppost in the Beaux-arts façade in Fifth Avenue could be mistaken for something from New York’s past or import from France. However, these are part of the museum collection and were created to display the European influence on American Art in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Chinese Garden Court
The Chinese Garden Court is not only amazing because it is a replica of a Ming Dynasty garden from Suzhou, but that it took a team of 26 Chinese craftsmen six months to create it. The reason why it took so long was the fact that the construction was completed using traditional techniques and tools from the time. This inviting section of the museum even has a koi pond.
Staircase From The Chicago Stock Exchange
The museum does not only display art, but it has also incorporated it into the building which is what has happened with the staircase from the Chicago Stock Exchange. The pair of Louis Sullivan staircases connects the first and second floor of the Engelhard Court. The staircases were saved from the Chicago stock exchange when it was razed to the ground in 1972.
Picture Collage Of The Met Collection
A little more high tech than the rest of the museum is the picture collage of the Met collection. In the Luce Study Center, close to the open storage collection in the American wing sits this large picture collage. This is a visual display of every item that is located in the Met collection. If you do not wander the large display, you can also view the entire collection on the two public computers in the study center.
The Medieval Court
The Medieval Court is located in the center of the museum but was originally a freestanding building when the museum was first commissioned in the 1880’s. One of the leading artists of the day, Calvert Vaux, designed it. The Cathedral style win is decorated with an 18th-century Spanish choir screen. Each winter the museum also decorates a large Christmas tree which is displayed in this court.
There is much more than art to be found that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. There are reclaim pieces of architecture making up the building and traditional installations using traditional methods.