The design for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art grows out of a consideration for its extraordinarily beautiful, pastoral site, situating a collection of delicate pavilions nestled into the sloping terrain of a forested site. The pavilions span a ravine and two ponds forming a backdrop to community and educational spaces. The complex positions art and nature side by side, and includes a network of gardens, courtyards and hiking trails.

Both a museum and a cultural center, the complex holds exhibit spaces and a curatorial complex of the highest standard in addition to a library, and multiple communal and educational spaces. Two suspended-cable-and-timber “bridges” span the ravine, creating two ponds. The primary materials – concrete, timber, and fieldstone – are sourced from the region.