The Milwaukee Art Museum opened a new lakefront atrium in November, adjacent to Santiago Calatrava’s bird-like Quadracci Pavilion. The two-story addition is situated on the east side of the building, right along Lake Michigan.
The museum provides some great views, and that’s not counting the thousands of works of art that are stored there. Inside, visitors can look through the full-height, low-iron glass windows to see the lake.
Passersby outside can see an array of warm colors as the sun reflects off the building’s second story, which is wrapped in bands of stainless steel that were washed in a chemical bath and pressed with shark-skin texture.
The building has a rooftop plaza and a green roof, which has walking paths. On the inside, more gallery space has been included to show photography, media arts, and design displays. The walls are white and the concrete floors are polished, which gives the building a clean feeling.
The $34 million addition was built after six years of planning and 14 months of construction. The Milwaukee Art Museum was built in 1955, and previous additions were made in 1975 and 2001. The project’s architect was HGA Architects and Engineers, and Hunzinger Construction handled the construction.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
Related Stories
Museums | May 10, 2019
Lincoln Park Zoo announces renovation plans and design for the Kovler Lion House
Construction will begin in fall 2019.
Museums | Feb 27, 2019
Seoul’s Robot Science Museum will be built by robots
Robots will be in charge of jobs such as molding, welding, and polishing metal plates for the museum’s façade, and 3D printing concrete.
Museums | Feb 22, 2019
The National Museum of Qatar takes its design from the desert rose
Jean Nouvel designed the museum.
Museums | Jan 16, 2019
Disused British airfield to become an automotive museum
Foster + Partners is designing the facility.
Museums | Sep 10, 2018
Helsinki’s underground art museum opens to the public
JKMM designed the space.
Architects | Jun 14, 2018
Chicago Architecture Center sets Aug. 31 as opening date
The Center is located at 111 E. Wacker Drive.
Museums | Jun 1, 2018
The new Orange County Museum of Art will be Orange County’s largest center for arts and culture
Morphosis designed the building.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
Museums | Apr 2, 2018
‘Canopy of Peace’ to rise 150 feet above The National WWII Museum
The piece will tie together the six-acre campus.
Museums | Mar 27, 2018
The future of museums: The ultimate visitor experience
Kirill Pivovarov discusses how museums and retail stores are influencing each other to create a better visitor experience. Special thanks to Paul Conder for contributing his retail insights.