The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia has announced that award-winning New York-based Selldorf Architects have been selected to develop a large-scale reinstallation of the institution’s galleries in collaboration with the museum staff. The renovation will encompass all seven of the collection areas—from Photography and European Art to Decorative Arts and Design—while emphasizing visitor experience, contemporary narratives, and the strengths of the Museum’s holdings to create a cohesive experience thats deepens engagement inside the Richard Meier and Renzo Piano-designed complex.
“The reinstallation of the collection is an opportunity to create a more coherent and unified experience throughout the High,” explains principal Annabelle Selldorf. “We are very excited to be working with a collection of such depth and quality in buildings by two architects whose work I hold in the highest regard.”
As the first comprehensive revision since Renzo Piano’s 2005 extension, Selldorf Architects will address wayfinding, signage, space planning, mounting, wall configuration, casework, fabrication, object location, accessibility, and lighting functionality across the High Museums’ Stent Family Wing, Wieland Pavilion, and Anne Cox Chambers Wing. The addition of rotating special project spaces and dedicated environments for the extensive collection will also be integral to the new scheme.
According to chief curator Kevin W. Tucker, “Our vision for this reinstallation project is to highlight the incredible strengths of our collection while connecting these widely ranging works through shared interpretive schemes embracing equity, diversity and approachability."
Selldorf Architects' previous portfolio of museum projects range from the refined David Zwirner Gallery in New York to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, among many others. Current projects include major enhancements to The Frick Collection in New York and the expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
The renovations will begin in late spring 2018, with the galleries closing in May, and are expected to be unveiled in October 2018.
AD Classics: High Museum of Art / Richard Meier & Partners
14 Text description provided by the architects. The High Museum of Art is a major public building and art repository that responds to the typological and contextual aspects of the museum's program. The city of Atlanta's progressive building tradition, as well as its role as a developing cultural center, had a strong influence on the design.