This project expanded the University’s existing museum building to twice its original size, bringing the total square footage to approximately 77,000 sf: 29,000 sf for the public gallery display and auditorium and 48,000 sf for laboratory, research, collection, and office space.
Due to the building’s prominent position on the West Ridge hillside, the University wanted a distinctive structure to serve as a “signature building” for the campus and the community. The design chosen derives its unique appearance from three unusual architectural elements:
- the Main Gallery, an irregular segment bisecting a portion of the building
- the Museum Store, a separate structure to the south, with both sloping and curved walls
- the curved roof, which forms a two-story lobby space connecting the Museum Store to the Main Gallery
