Construction began Tuesday on the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU. Gene Gargaro, Chairman of the board of Directors at the Detroit Institute of Arts says, "I think it will draw visitors to the state, not only from in Michigan, but outside of Michigan."

The new building will have pleated steel on the outside, which is designed to be visually appealing and will stand up to Michigan's winters and seasonal changes. The Project Manager says, "It is a very durable skin...and it will be very dramatic how it plays with the light."

Governor Jennifer Granholm says, "It's going to be an incredibly iconic building. It's going to be totally different than anything else you've seen. That means it will be a magnet for those who love art and those who love architecture, a really wonderful symbol for the state of Michigan."

The facility will also contain a number of windows or glazed panels to let in natural light. They will also allow visitors to view both the campus and the residential and business ares beyond to symbolically tie the two together. The museum is named in honor of the Broad's who donated more than 28-million dollars to the project. Eli Broad says, "Art lifts everyone's spirits and you need that, especially in this economy."

Construction will take about 20 months. The dedication will take place in spring of 2012. Once completed, the museum will have more than 70-percent gallery space and room for large art works to be displayed.