For the first time since it was completed in 1933, Seattle’s Asian Art Museum is set to undergo a substantial renovation and expansion. LMN Architects announced the initial design for the renovation with the goal of ensuring the museum remains an important cultural resource moving forward.
Originally designed by the architectural partnership of Bebb and Gould, the museum’s expansion and renovation will take the Art Deco building and enable it to showcase more of its permanent collection while also providing more space to allow for additional special, temporary exhibitions.
A three-story expansion will provide new gallery space, education space, and administrative offices. A new terrace overlooking the east lawn has also been proposed and a glass park lobby addition will help improve circulation through the galleries and provide visual connections to the park.
In addition to the museum-specific updates, HVAC, fire safety, and seismic upgrades will also be made to the eight-decade-old building.
Funding for the project, whose budget currently sits at about $49 million, will be a mixture of public and private funds. And while fans of the museum sill surely be excited about the updates, the expansion and renovation does mean the museum will close at the end of February 2017 and not reopen until 2019.
Courtesy of LMN Architects
Courtesy of LMN Architects
Related Stories
Museums | May 28, 2015
SANAA wins bid to design new building for Art Gallery of New South Wales
The museum's developers hope the new gallery will enrich Sydney’s eastern cultural precinct.
Museums | May 18, 2015
Diller Scofidio + Renfro unveils preliminary design for U.S. Olympic Museum
According to the firm’s founding partner, Elizabeth Diller, the design was inspired by the movement of athletes, as it “spirals up and outwards from a central atrium.”
Museums | May 13, 2015
The museum of tomorrow: 8 things to know about cultural institutions in today’s society
Entertainment-based experiences, personal journeys, and community engagement are among the key themes that cultural institutions must embrace to stay relevant, write Gensler's Diana Lee and Richard Jacob.
Museums | Apr 27, 2015
Finalists’ designs for Guggenheim Helsinki competition released
A custom-developed App engages an international public in the selection process.
Museums | Apr 23, 2015
Moshe Safdie unveils pentagonal scheme for National Medal of Honor Museum
The new museum near Charleston, S.C., will archive the history of the nation's highest military honorees.
Museums | Apr 22, 2015
Check out Ralph Johnson's stunning nature-inspired Shanghai museum
The newly opened Shanghai Natural History Museum, designed by Perkins+Will’s Global Design Director Ralph Johnson, mimics the shape of a nautilus shell, and features natural elements throughout.
Museums | Apr 16, 2015
SANAA and Snøhetta tie at first place for Budapest museum bid
The two firms submitted designs for the New National Gallery and Ludwig Museum, one of five planned museums to be constructed in a park just outside the urban center of Hungary’s capital.
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Apr 14, 2015
Fire resistive curtain wall brings maximum light, views and safety to Aspen Art Museum
The curtain wall used for the Shigeru Ban-designed museum provides maximum daylight while protecting the art from fire
Museums | Apr 10, 2015
Henning Larsen Architects designs timber museum extension in Sweden
The new extension will complement Österund’s wooded surroundings
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
14 projects that push AEC teaming to the limits
From Lean construction to tri-party IPD to advanced BIM/VDC coordination, these 14 Building Teams demonstrate the power of collaboration in delivering award-winning buildings. These are the 2015 Building Team Award winners.
