Archinect - News

Not spectacular, but smart

2021-06-08T12:38:00-04:00

Here you’ll see Gehry’s only concession to showiness, in the form of a Piranesian switchback staircase leading to the basement level. Even that is outshone, though, by the splendid vaulted walkway leading off from it, decked out in Guastavino tile and re-emerging after decades as back of house. (For the moment nothing is down here except a couple of sculptures, a gift shop, and a little cafe; the macchiato was pretty good.)

Jason Farago reviewed a renewed "Core Project" by Gehry Partners at the Philadelphia Museum.

View of the Williams Forum from level one, looking west to Lenfest Hall - Steve Hall © Hall + Merrick Photographers, 2021. From the previously published article, "The Philadelphia Museum of Art unveils $233 million renovation by Frank Gehry"

When the updates were first discussed, Orhan Ayyüce had suggested "If you want to get something really good from Gehry, ask him something with existing rules. He'll play with them like nobody can.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art unveils $233 million renovation by Frank Gehry

2021-05-07T16:41:00-04:00

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has unveiled a $233 million renovation, reorganization, and interior expansion of its historic 1928 main building. The undertaking, called the Core Project, was led by Frank Gehry and saw the addition of nearly 90,000 square feet of reimagined and newly created space within the museum. This is the latest phase of a master plan for improvements that was approved by the museum’s board of trustees in 2004. It also marks the completion of four years of construction.

Detail of the Williams Forum stairs seen from level one - Steve Hall © Hall + Merrick Photographers, 2021

The primary elements of the Core Project include: a rebuilt and more accessible West Terrace, now the Robbi and Bruce Toll Terrace, with the addition of integrated ramps; a renovated Lenfest Hall, a space that has long been the main western entrance to the museum, which has become more open and light-filled and now features new coffered ceilings, restored columns, a newly installed wall scu...

The Gehry-transformed Philadelphia Museum of Art will open on May 7

2021-03-31T14:03:00-04:00

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has announced May 7th as the grand opening date following a major renovation endeavor led by Frank Gehry's team. Called the Core Project, the transformation represents two decades of planning, design, and construction of 90,000 square feet of revived and newly created galleries and public spaces as well as major infrastructure investments to make the museum's landmark 1928 building ADA-compliant and energy efficient.

The North Entrance, for the first time in decades, was restored to public use in 2019 as part of the Core Project. Steve Hall © Hall + Merrick Photographers, 2019, courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2021.

"What we have achieved through the completion of the Core Project represents the work of many hands, from architects and engineers to steel workers and stonemasons," commented Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer. "The value of Frank Gehry’s brilliant plan for the renewal and improvement of this great b...

Ground breaks on Frank Gehry's subtly lit, opened-up Philadelphia Museum of Art

2017-03-30T13:50:00-04:00

How do you transform a classical museum without dramatically altering the existing architecture? Frank Gehry and the hardworking crew at Gehry Partners have chosen to remove a few walls and increase the amount of natural and artificial lighting, creating a stronger visual connection between previously closed-off reception halls and the gallery spaces, as these before and after photos demonstrate:

The $196 million "Core Project" should be completed by about 2020, and will add 90,000 square feet to the public, including 23,000 square feet of new gallery space. After the Gehry Plan is completed, the galleries will have grown by an additional 55,000 square feet, for a total of 78,000 square feet.

Philadelphia: Let's Talk About Frank Gehry

2014-07-01T13:29:00-04:00

Putting aside Rocky—though that's hard to do these days—there's a bigger problem looming over Gehry's expansion plans. That problem is Gehry. Not for all the reasons that Gehry's critics like to cite, chapter and verse, about why he doesn't deserve to be an ambassador for cool architecture. In fact, Gehry's critics may find plenty to admire in his plans for the Art Museum. Frankly, it's not very Gehry.

Previously: Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition to reveal Frank Gehry’s renovation plan this summer

Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition to reveal Frank Gehry’s renovation plan this summer

2014-05-23T18:14:00-04:00

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will soon debut Making a Classic Modern: Frank Gehry’s Master Plan for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an exhibition showcasing the first images of Frank Gehry's master plan to renovate the museum. The exhibition will also feature large-scale models, site plans, sections, and renderings. The exhibition opens July 1 through September 1 at the Dorrance Galleries.

After PMA selected Gehry Partners -- who is working with OLIN -- in 2006 to design the multi-phased plan for the landmark, the core phase focuses on reorganizing and expanding the building's interior, adding more than 169,000 square feet of space. The additional space will allow the Museum to display more of its collection.

More details on Bustler.