THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 2013
ARCHITECTURE
PAGE 3A
Mitchell
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAI
EMMA LEGAULT
elegualt@kansan.com
University professor Dennis Sander designed and built a model of a Lamborghini museum to potentially be built in Italy. Sander will travel to Italy again in October to discuss financial approval of his design.
A few square miles of land between the cities of Bologna and Modena, will potentially house a new corporate office and museum for Lamborghini in the next decade.
The reflecting pool in front of the three-story glass walls will turn the nine pristine Lamborghinis on display into 18. The corporate gray granite walls will aim to embody the luxury of the product the company produces.
Millions of people will eventually visit the museum in Italy to marvel at the cars. But as Erika Sander, a junior from Lawrence, looks from the 12-foot model to her father, Dennis Sander, the architect behind the project and a professor at the University, it's neither the building nor the cars that she stands in awe of.
"I think he's the most talented person ever," Erika said. "I think he is amazing."
When Erika was in eighth grade, her father took her out of school for a 32-day excursion in Europe while he presented his
museum design for the popular European racing circuit Le Mans to a consortium of European car manufacturers. Ninth on the list was Lamborghini.
After his presentation, the vice president for corporate image approached Sander and asked if he would do something similar for him. He wanted a singular, corporate image.
"It's almost like he wrote out what he wanted for dinner," Sander said.
After the grandeur of the Le Mans project, Erika wasn't surprised by Lamborghin's offer
Sander started the project in 2010. By 2012, he and Erika were back in Sant'agata Bolognese. She listened on as the museum director called her father a "genius" and asked him not to change it.
"I've been doing this for over 50 years, and usually when I call the shot it's pretty close to home," Sander said.
Sander knew when he was 10 that he wanted to be an architect. Growing up, he devoted eight hours each Saturday to the Carnegie-Mellon Institute of Technology's grade-school program
learning architecture's sister arts.
In sixth grade, Sander was featured on TV for winning a contest. The host asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Sander replied that without a doubt he would be an architect.
"I also said that, 'but I want to
"It obviously takes up a lot of his time and he's constantly working on different projects."
ERIKA SANDER
Lawrence junior
design and make some bowling alleys because I understand that architects don't make much money" he said.
Sander said he has been blessed to have seen roughly 150 of his designs manifest into buildings.
And his daughter has been with him every step of the way for the past 20 years.
"It obviously takes up a lot of his time and he's constantly working
on different projects and things as long as I've been alive" Erika said. "His projects have always been a big part of my life."
When the two travel in Europe, they always visit Paris because it's Erika's favorite place. At the end of the hectic Le Mans trip, they rested for four days in the city.
Sander said they have a routine: visit the Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Opera House and the Louvre, and they always walk down the Champs-Elysees at least six times.
"At the end of every trip we do Paris," Sander said.
“It’s always just us.” Erika added. Last March, the pair journeyed to Europe again to show the museum director the final plans.
"She said, 'I knew you would do this. I knew you would do it like this.' It made me really choked up," Sander said. "She says, 'You have a passion for this. I know that passion. I've seen that passion. Our designers have that passion."
It was one of those times in Sander's career that he truly felt blessed.
that you call cars, they're works of art," he said.
"I said, 'Look who I'm designing for. Those miraculous art objects'
The buildings her father designed have always had a presence in Erika's life. At two years old, she visited his aquarium in Mexico. More recently, she spotted a parking garage that he designed in "The Dark Knight Rises"
"It blows my mind how he could come up with that. He's so creative," Erika said. "I didn't get any of the creativity."
"Oh, yes you did," her father replied.
Sander will travel once more to Italy in October to discuss financial approval of his design. To see his model become a reality would be a culmination of being consumed with his project, of 18-hour weekend workdays and carefully taking more than 230 iPhone photographs of his model. It would be one of the proudest moments of his daughter's life
"I pray that I will be able to see this one day." Erika said.
"Me too." Sander said, "me too."
Edited by Tara Bryant
KU$\textcircled{1}$nfo
Every Thursday, at 3 p.m. in the fourth floor lobby of the Kansas Union, there is a program called "Tea @ 3." Free of charge, you can join students, faculty and staff for
a free cup of tea and a cookie.
POLICE REPORTS
Information based on the Douglas County Sheriff's Office booking recap.
- A 24-year-old female was arrested yesterday on the 300 block of Stockade Street on suspicion of domestic battery. No bond was posted.
- A 23-year-old female was arrested yesterday on the 600 block of Kentucky Street on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence. A $300 bond was paid.
- A 38-year-old female was arrested Tuesday on the 1300 block of 6th Street on suspicion of failing to appear in court, cultivating or distributing a controlled substance. no drug tax stamp, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful obtaining or distribution of prescriptions and obstruction of legal process. A $7,820 bond was paid.
- A 42-year-old female was arrested Tuesday on the 3600 block of 25th Street on suspicion of hosting minors consuming alcohol. A $500 bond was paid.