Moving the famous Barnes Foundation art collection from a Paul Cretâdesigned gallery in Merion, Pa., to a 93,000-square-foot building in Center City required the architects to honor the past while advancing the future of the Barnes. They succeeded with a tripartite building that houses the Collection Galleryâa 12,000-square-foot space replicating the scale, proportion, and configuration of the Merion galleriesâas well as an L-shaped pavilion and a light court connecting the two. Layers of landscaping, including a series of public gardens, reference the original arboretum in Merion.
Jury: âGiven the collectionâs requirement for display in its original context, the architect cleverly placed the âold buildingâ within its overall solution.â
Client: âWeâve had many comments about how lovely the processional landscape is. It works exactly the way the architects intended, bringing a sense of calm into the center of the city. This project has been very successful in every dimension.â âDerek Gillman, executive director and president, Barnes Foundation