I’ve just posted the first of a series of informal “construction” videos showing how Paul Milstein Hall (OMA/Rem Koolhaas) at Cornell University is being built. The homepage for the anticipated video series is here. Ultimately, I hope to add additional short videos dealing in turn with substructure, superstructure, and enclosure systems.

The first video, “Getting Ready,” shows some of the preliminary site work and underpinning of adjacent buildings that occurred prior to the actual start of foundation work.

These videos are purely educational and informative in nature: after all, in spite of the numerous problems that this building has, some of which I have discussed elsewhere on this blog (also here), it’s construction is actually quite interesting and in many ways unusual.

Given my prior and continuing criticism of the Milstein Hall design, I would like to acknowledge the support for this video project by the College of Architecture, Art & Planning (Dean Kent Kleinman) and the Construction Manager (Welliver McGuire). Of course, there is a contractual stipulation that some form of educational outreach must be provided along with the actual construction of the building — so my video project proposal, having little if any competition from other faculty initiatives, may have been viewed as a necessity to fulfill this contractual obligation. In any case, I appreciate the support I’ve been given. Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed on these videos are entirely my own (except where views or opinions are expressed directly by other people appearing in the videos), and are not necessarily the views of Cornell University, OMA, or any of the consultants, subcontractors, or construction managers involved in the construction of Paul Milstein Hall

Note: links to other Milstein posts updated May 5, 2011.