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The Museum of Bond Vehicles + Espionage debuted
its plans and design today in Illinois, USA...
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Bond Vehicle Museum Plans Unveiled
26th July 2010
The Museum of Bond Vehicles + Espionage debuted its plans and
design to the media and public today in Momence, Illinois, USA.
It will host the exclusive collection of the Ian Fleming Foundation,
including the world’s largest collection of vehicles used
in James Bond films. Slated to open in 2012, the 50th anniversary
of the first Bond movie, Dr. No, the Gensler-designed museum
is a partnership between the Ian Fleming Foundation, the Kankakee
County Museum, and the City of Momence, Illinois.
In addition to showcasing an unparalleled collection of Bond
vehicles, the museum will also feature cultural artifacts of
espionage. Exhibits will explore contemporary culture’s
impact on the Bond films and conversely, Bond’s influence
on popular culture. With projections of 20,000 visitors per year,
the museum hopes to catalyze development in Momence, Illinois,
a historic “border town” located 50 miles south of
Chicago. Today, Momence’s architecturally significant Main
Street has been abandoned. “The museum’s design acts
as a deceptive double agent,” says Gensler Design Director
Brian Vitale. “On the surface, the museum appears to showcase
a world-class collection of James Bond vehicles and the culture
that surrounds them. But its real mission is to become a powerful
catalyst for the revitalization of a once-vibrant city.”
With a limited budget, the need for a single impactful element
was critical. The result is the “007” window (named
so because the window’s angled jamb resembles a “7”),
located at the building’s prominent corner. The window
provides the museum with exhibit display, signage and an iconic
image that will provide a backdrop for thousands of tourist photographs
every year. Vitale explains: “The remainder of the building
is clad in black horizontal corrugated metal. It’s a mysterious
silhouette that reveals very little of the museum’s content,
much like James Bond, himself.”
The Ian Fleming Foundation’s permanent collection includes
the Lotus Submarine Car used in The Spy Who Loved Me, the Aston
Martin Volante seen in The Living Daylights, Bond’s BMW
R 1200 C Motorcycle used in Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Bomabardier
Rev 800 MXZ Ski-Doos from Die Another Day, among many others.
Doug Redinous, President of the Ian Fleming Foundation, explained
the wider rationale behind the museum to MI6. "Our goal
of creating a museum where people can come to learn not only
about Bond, but Ian Fleming, espionage, and the spy world in
general", he said. "We hope to enlighten people about
how Fleming helped to create the modern day CIA, and how that
leads to his writing the Bond novels. Our plan is to touch upon
all aspects of the spy world and showcase the interesting artifacts
from a once barely seen world. We also hope to showcase the archive
of the Ian Fleming Foundation which includes posters, manuscripts,
books and of course Bond vehicles from the films."
The museum is now entering its fund-raising stage to get the
site cleared, building remodeled, and ready for occupancy in
time for the 50th anniversary. To learn more about the project,
visit www.Bondvehiclemuseum.com
The museum is not associated with Eon Productions Ltd., Danjaq
S.A., MGM/UA, Sony Pictures Entertainment, or Ian Fleming Publications
Ltd. Neither these promotional materials nor products associated
with them suggest or imply an endorsement by these entities nor
other parties not associated with this project.
