Aerial view of the PMA and the new Perelman Building--photo courtesy of the PMA. Click image to go to flickr and see my notes which tell what is what and where you are in space. — Aerial view of the PMA and the new Perelman Building–photo courtesy of the PMA. Click image to go to flickr and see my notes which tell what is what and where you are in space.

Libby began Artblog‘s Perelman Chronicles with her post about the PMA’s new building. I will take you on a little photo tour and drop a few facts into the fray. But first, I want to remind you of the hard-hat tour we took a scant year ago (March, 2006) where the place was so not ready for prime time it’s hard to believe how swank and finished and established it looks today. Here’s my flickr set from yesterday and here’s my flickr set from the hard hat tour. And here’s Libby’s flickr set from yesterday.

Then and now….looking good.

Shades of Rudolph Stingel!! Tin foil–but no grafitti, March, 2006, in the exhibit hall that now houses a wonderful sculpture show.

Same gallery, now finished and gorgeous. I’m glad it hasn’t got a concrete floor. Enough with the back-breaking art experience. Let’s do some nice warm wood floors again.

Library, I think.

Library. Note the Paul Manship reliefs (1914) on the wall, a gift of the Lenfests in honor of the Perelmans. The works, commissioned originally for the New York ATT building, have never been out at the PMA before.

Galleria before

Skylit Galleria, now. I love the trapezoidal design and the way the entrances to the galleries (left) seem to loom up and out and into the space–somehow evoking the entrance to the pyramids or some ancient sacred cavern.

Trolley shuttle

Free Shuttle Service between PMA and Perelman. Take it!

You must understand that the Perelman Building is some distance from the PMA’s main building on the hill. To ambulate between the two requires about ten minutes if you abide by the rules of the road and cross at the traffic lights on Kelly Drive and Pennsylvania Ave. Much preferred is the SHUTTLE SERVICE, which the museum is running between the two buildings, at ten- to fifteen-minute intervals. Trust me it’s worth the wait. The other (more foolish–although direct) way to cross is to dash across Kelly Drive and PA Ave. dodging cars. This is NOT ADVISED, with Kelly Drive being a 4-lane (or more with the turn lanes) raceway.

Here’s the suggested pedestrian map–if you wish to trot the trot. It is advisable NOT to cross Kelly Drive by dashing and dodging cars….go with the lights–it’s out of the way but you have a better chance of arriving in one piece.