Cranbrook Museum of Art Addition
SmithGroup
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Date
2009-2011Description
Clear-glazed red brick references the work of both Eliel and Eero Saarinen; Paul Urbanek, AIA (project designer). Two-thirds of the project’s $22 million budget was given over to the renovation and new climate control for the old building (1942). A new vestibule prevents outside air from affecting interior conditions; triple-glazed windows and a vapor barrier fill the much-thickened wall cavity. The extension’s plain, windowless western façade sports clear-glazed brick paneling that was actually developed and originally produced at Cranbrook for a nearby GM building by Eero Saarinen. Connecting old building and new via an underground corridor for staff and art, the architects relocated the mechanical plant for the museum and library into the new Collections Wing, freeing up space on the original lower floor for galleries and archives. Inside the addition, within a 45-foot-wide footprint, the architects included a loading dock, seminar space, and open storage that puts the complete collection on view (for Cranbrook research students and staff). Source: Architect: The Journal of the American Institute of Architects [online]; http://www.architectmagazine.com (accessed 7/20/2015)
Type of Work
art museumSubject
architecture, Art museums, Museology, Restoration and conservation, Twenty-first century
Rights
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only