The project consisted of a gallery renovation and permanent exhibition design marking the centenary of the Austen Riggs Center, a mental health facility in Stockbridge, MA. The gallery is in a space within the former Norman Rockwell Museum that was gutted and redesigned specifically to house the exhibition. While permanent, the flexible design of the gallery and exhibition allows for modifications of content over time. Design scope included architectural shell, lighting, exhibition apparatus, and content development.

The Austen Riggs Center is a voluntary, therapeutic, long-term residential mental health care facility also well known for its pioneering and ongoing scholarship in mental health, located in Stockbridge, MA. To mark its centenary, IKD was charged with fully renovating a fitting out a gallery with a permanent exhibition that celebrates the history and values of the Center. Located in the former Norman Rockwell Museum, the space was gutted and redesigned specifically to house the permanent exhibition. The main apparatus of the gallery consists of a peg rail that wraps around the perimeter of the gallery, with panels of varying sizes hanging at varying display heights. Inspired by a timeless historic detail in Shaker interior architecture, the continuous rail is a balance between new and old, offering a fresh and unique way to display content while contextualizing the space within the Berkshire region. Digital media was also aesthetically integrated into the gallery. Custom millwork provides an easel to display patient artwork, book shelves, and stool storage while detracting attention from an existing ramp that needed to remain in the gallery. While permanent, the flexible design of the gallery and exhibition allows for modifications of content over time.