Photo by Dean Kaufman/Courtesy MOCA Cleveland |
Farshid Moussavi's first building in the U.S., the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA), opened to the public this week. (Click the image above to view a slide show.) On the corner of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road, MOCA adds another crown jewel to the neighborhood known as University Circle when it opens this month (see RECORD's feature on development in Cleveland) It is also a powerful urban accent in relationship to its neighbor, Stanley Saitowitz's mixed-use Uptown project. The four-story, 34,000-square-foot hexagon is clad in mirrored, black stainless-steel panels. A glass atrium contains a small café and lounge, doubling as an event space. MOCA's new $27.2 million home includes three flexible galleries for changing exhibitions (MOCA is a non-collecting institution), an education room, and offices. Exposed fluted metal decking painted a deep blue dominates the interior, which is punctuated by a sculptural steel staircase. |
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman/Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo by Dan Michaels, Westlake Reed Leskosky

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Thom Sheridan

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Duane Prokop, Getty Images Entertainment / Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Duane Prokop, Getty Images Entertainment / Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Ann Onusko Design Culture Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Ann Onusko Design Culture Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman/Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman/Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman/Courtesy MOCA Cleveland

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Copyright FMA

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Copyright FMA

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Photo: Dean Kaufman

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Image courtesy Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Image courtesy Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Image courtesy Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Image courtesy Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Farshid Moussavi
Cleveland, Ohio
Image courtesy Farshid Moussavi Architecture