Gluckman Tang Architects, Reed Hildebrand, and Thinc Design are collaborating on the expansion that will enhance the presentation of the artist’s work, story, and connection to Northern New Mexico while contributing new greenspace to the city’s downtown.

Gluckman Tang Architects is pleased to release images of the new O’Keeffe Museum and Campus, a bold and inclusive vision on behalf of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to create a world-class exhibition facility and community green space to expand its cultural role, stewardship responsibilities, and educational offerings in Santa Fe.

The new museum and campus are located on Grant Avenue in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico where the museum already has a Research Center, Library, and Archive in the historic Otero-Bergere house, renovated by Gluckman Tang in 2001. The new building will be situated in the southern portion of the block, and a new public green space will link the museum to the existing Research Center on the site. In choosing to consolidate their operations in this location, the museum remains close to the historic Plaza, the existing museum building, and the cultural assets of downtown Santa Fe.

The current museum was designed by Gluckman Tang in 1997, a modest renovation and expansion of an existing building, with a total area of 12,400 SF. By utilizing traditional materials from the southwest and selectively introducing daylight, the design of the museum subtly reinforces the environment of Northern New Mexico captured in the artist’s work.

Key features of the new museum are expanded exhibition, visitor amenity, collections management, and education facilities to support the programming that the museum has developed over a 25-year tenure. The project will triple the gallery space of the existing museum with 13,000 SF of exhibition space, including a dedicated changing exhibitions gallery. New collections management spaces will allow for the appropriate care, storage, and stewardship of a collection that has grown significantly since the museum’s opening. 

A defining feature of the new campus is the community green space between the new museum and the existing museum offices and archive, library, and research center. The green space is free and open to the public and will feature a series of outdoor terraces for museum programming and events. A mix of drought-tolerant native plants will be introduced while maintaining several existing canopy trees on the site. 

On June 10th, 2021, the project was presented to the public in an open information session via zoom, the first of several community engagement sessions planned throughout the summer and fall of 2021. The project team is now beginning a historic and jurisdictional review process that will lead into further design development through 2022, with construction anticipated to begin shortly thereafter. 

Project Facts

• What: A 54,000 square foot building on a one-acre lot (30,600 square feet at street level and 17,300 square feet below ground for collections care) and almost an acre of community green space.
• Where: 100 block of Grant Avenue, in the historic Santa Fe Plaza District. The site is currently occupied by a former supermarket housing the Museum’s Education Annex and related properties. This building will be removed to accommodate the new museum.
• When: Community engagement is happening now. Construction is set to begin in late 2022 and The New O’Keeffe will open at the end of 2024.
• Cost: Project cost estimates between $60-$75 million, with 80% committed. The funding comes from individual donors and foundations, including a $750,000 matching challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The O’Keeffe is a private institution, there has been no state or city funding for the building project to date.

 New Building Program

• Expanded Exhibition Galleries
• Education center with classroom and lecture space
• Community green space that is free and open to the public, opening pedestrian routes between Sheridan and Grant Avenues
• State-of-the-art conservation lab, collections storage space, and a photography studio for collection documentation
• Walkway to its Research Center, Library and Archives, integrating its facilities on Grant Avenue
• On-campus bus drop-off lane, eliminating street crossing for visiting students
• Loading dock for careful handling of artwork without disrupting traffic
• Larger retail space
• Expansive lobby for public events and gatherings

About Gluckman Tang
Gluckman Tang Architects is a multi-faceted firm offering services in architecture, planning and interior design. Over 40 years in practice in New York, Gluckman Tang has grown from a studio focused on art installations and galleries to an internationally recognized firm with a body of work that includes museums, educational institutions, retail, residential and commercial projects. We are renowned for our sensitive interventions into historic structures and for ground-up buildings that are responsive to their context. Our design sensibility is shaped by a history of close collaboration with artists and curators, and by our commitment to enhance the public realm and enrich the human experience.

About Reed Hildebrand
Based in Cambridge’s Central Square, and operating with the leadership of six principals, Reed Hildebrand is engaged in diverse commissions—urban centers, museum landscapes, academic campuses, commercial developments, and private residences—throughout North America and in Europe.

About Thinc Design
Thinc Design is a leading New York-based Exhibition Design firm with broad experience in museums and immersive experiences.