With bold volumes and articulated cornices, windows and masonry the Boca Raton Museum of Art is a postmodern classic located along Federal Highway in Mizner Park. Though cars and pedestrians heavily traffic this area the Museum has long been hidden in plain site - camouflaged by landscaping, gates and unclear signage, with no clear entrance or wayfinding.

The challenge of this project was to consider the relationship between the Museum and the changing dynamics of its surroundings, with the goal of envisioning a vibrant public realm through the engagement with, and experience of, art. Working off the Museum’s dynamic indoor gallery environment, Glavovic Studio conceived of Promenade, a 27,000-square-foot gallery without walls. Promenade is a series undulating monumental linear forms that transform the existing outdoor space into an extension of the Museum’s Sculpture Garden for large-scale exhibitions and pedestrian experiences. Each element is a separate undulating component comprised of either soft or hardscape materials, which encourages passers-by to spend time in the park. 

The loading dock gate has been replaced with a 12-foot high screen of metal, mirrored and acrylic panels. Titled Mending Wall, an homage to the poem by Robert Frost (1874-1963), the 75-foot-long linear structure is comprised of repetitious vertical aluminum panels. The sandwich panel structure is lit internally and externally. The panels are three different greys and translucent acrylic on the outer layer with bright yellow and polished mirror stainless steel panels on the inner layer. The spacing between the panels captures changes in daylight between solid and void and encourages southeast breezes through the loading dock, while incorporating the functional requirements of a loading dock gate. The new graphics and wayfinding program include a new freestanding sculptural sign of individually lit letters, a back-lit museum information sign and two new red signs located on the building’s south side signaling the entrance.

The hope is to provide spaces that invite people to experience the Museum’s programming as they celebrate Boca Raton’s environment and culture. The Boca Raton Museum of Art is now a uniquely Florida experience of landscape, sky and light that amplifies the phenomenal qualities of the outdoors as part of the art experience.