1. ArchDaily
  2. Selldorf Architects

Selldorf Architects: The Latest Architecture and News

The Art Gallery of Ontario Announces Expansion Project Designed by Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has announced an expansion project designed by Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect. The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery design will increase the museum’s gallery space by 40,000 square feet, with 13 new galleries across five floors.

The exterior façade of the extension will quietly complement the AGO’s existing built environment, respecting the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. Sitting one story above AGO’s existing loading dock, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will be nestled between the AGO and OCAD University. It will connect the existing galleries from four locations, substantially improving visitor circulation in and around the museum.

Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council

The Westminister City Council adopted a resolution to grant planning permission to the National Gallery for a series of adaptations, including Selldorf Architects’ restoration proposal for the Sainsbury Wing, originally designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. The plans to remodel were revealed earlier this year as part of the NG200 Project to celebrate the National Gallery’s bicentennial in 2024. The first intervention proposal for the Sainsbury Wing was met with widespread criticism, which led to a revision of the plans, released in October this year.

Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council - Image 1 of 4Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council - Image 2 of 4Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council - Image 3 of 4Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council - Image 4 of 4Plans to Renovate the Sainsbury Wing and National Gallery in London Receive Approval by the City Council - More Images+ 3

SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Selldorf Architects to jointly develop the modernization plan for the Hirshhorn Museum’s interior and plaza. As the first renovation in the last fifty years, the museum plans to upgrade its galleries and public spaces in order to fit the contemporary requirements of a public museum of modern art. It also represents a response to the increased attendance during the past five years. The federal contract was awarded following a competitive process by Smithsonian Facilities in consultation with the Hirshhorn. The concept design, to be submitted in 2023, will be subject to a public consultation process.

SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum - Image 1 of 4SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum - Image 2 of 4SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum - Image 3 of 4SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum - Image 4 of 4SOM and Selldorf Architects Appointed to Revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum - More Images+ 1

Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism

Selldorf Architects have released a revised version of the plans to remodel the National Gallery and the Sainsbury Wing, both classified as Grade-I-listed monuments. Sainsbury Wing is also the recipient of the 2019 AIA Twenty-five Year Award. The plans for the Sainsbury Wing, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown and opened in 1991, have faced intense criticism, with former RIBA Journal editor Hugh Pearman calling the remodeling plans “unnecessarily destructive”. The plans to remodel were first revealed earlier this year as part of the NG200 Project to celebrate the National Gallery’s bicentennial in 2024. The project proposes the remodeling of the Sainsbury Wing’s front gates, ground-floor entrance sequence, lobby, and first-floor spaces.

Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism - Image 6 of 4Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism - Image 7 of 4Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism - Image 1 of 4Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism - Image 2 of 4Renovation Plans for Venturi Scott Brown’s National Gallery Wing Are Revised After Widespread Criticism - More Images+ 9

Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings

Under the latest round of NYC's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Project Excellence Program, Commissioner Thomas Foley has announced that the agency has selected 20 firms to provide architectural design services for New York City’s future public buildings project. 10 of the selected firms are certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs), meeting the city’s ambitious goals of supporting M/WBEs and increasing its ability to generate culturally competent designs.

Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings - Image 1 of 4Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings - Image 2 of 4Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings - Image 3 of 4Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings - Image 4 of 4Studio Gang, SHop Architects, and Snøhetta Among 20 Firms Designing NYC’s Next Generation of Public Buildings - More Images+ 2

Beijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has announced Annabelle Selldorf as architect of the new Qianlong Garden Interpretation Center within the iconic Forbidden City in Beijing, China. One of few American architects to lead architectural projects at the site, Selldorf’s scheme will allow the public access to the Qianlong Garden for the first time, permitted through a new Visitor’s Center.

Selldorf, working with her NYC-based firm Selldorf Architects, will design the interpretation center within an existing, restored structure of the Qianlong Garden’s second courtyard. Designed as three distinct halls surrounding an open pavilion, the different spaces within the restoration will offer a unique perspective on the past and present of the Forbidden City.

Beijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects - Image 1 of 4Beijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects - Image 2 of 4Beijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects - Featured ImageBeijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects - Image 3 of 4Beijing's Forbidden City to be Opened to the Public for the First Time, with Restoration by Selldorf Architects - More Images+ 6

The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In

In the latest turn of events for the New York art scene, the Frick Collection has announced that the Met will vacate it's home in Marcel Breuer's Madison Avenue building in 2020. As the Art Newspaper reports, the Frick will move in later that year while its mansion undergoes a renovation and expansion by Selldorf Architects. The news follows the recent decision by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve the museum’s latest expansion plan to its 1914 Gilded Age mansion. The move is the latest development in an ongoing effort to provide additional space for the Frick Collection.

The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In - Image 3 of 4The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In - Image 2 of 4The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In - Image 1 of 4The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In - Image 4 of 4The Met Set to Leave Breuer Building in 2020 as The Frick Collection Moves In - More Images+ 1

Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego recently released plans to begin demolition on a portion of its La Jolla building designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. Aiming to expand and renovate, the museum is facing mounting criticism from a range of architects, critics and historians. The new plan calls for Venturi Scott Brown's exterior colonnade into Axline Court to be removed, and for the museum's neon-accented entry atrium to be repurposed as a public gathering space. With a part of the colonnade already removed, critics have signed an open letter hoping to save VSB's work.

Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Image 1 of 4Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Image 2 of 4Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Image 3 of 4Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Image 4 of 4Preservationists and Critics Aim to Save Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - More Images+ 4

Selldorf Architects To Reinstall Collection at The High Museum of Art

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.

AL_A, DS+R, Selldorf Among 6 Teams Shortlisted for Renovation of 18th Century Palladian House in Surrey

Six teams have been shortlisted in a competition to restore and renovate the historic Clandon Park mansion in the county of Surrey, England, after the National Park property received heavy damage from a fire in 2015.

Organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants, the competition tasked teams with restoring and updating the interiors of the 18th-century Palladian house, as well as designing new flexible event spaces and visitor facilities within the existing building footprint.

Rubell Family Collection's New Museum to Be Designed by Selldorf Architects

The Rubell Family Collection/Contemporary Arts Foundation announces its move to a newly design space by Selldorf Architects, a 100,000 square foot museum in Miami's Allapattah District that will open in December 2018. With 40 exhibition galleries, a research library, lecture hall, event space, sculpture garden, and restaurant, the Rubell Family will be able to expand their programming and showcase a large proportion of their collection.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) first opened in 1941 in the oceanfront La Jolla home of philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. In the half century that followed, the museum saw three distinct expansions; now, as it turns 75, MCASD anticipates its latest addition, a flexible new multipurpose design by Selldorf Architects that will quadruple the current gallery space.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion - Image 1 of 4Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion - Image 2 of 4Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion - Image 3 of 4Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion - Image 4 of 4Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Celebrates 75th Anniversary with $55 Million Expansion - More Images+ 2

Frick Collection Taps Selldorf Architects to Design Major Museum Expansion

One year after public outcry led the Frick Collection to abandon plans for a 6-story addition by Davis Brody Bond, the museum has announced its newest renovation plans: a major upgrade, enhancement and expansion of the institution’s facilities to be designed by Selldorf Architects.

The expansion plan will address the Collection’s needs to “accommodate the growth of its collections and programs, upgrade its conservation and research facilities, create new galleries, and—for the first time—allow for dedicated spaces and classrooms for the Frick’s educational programs,” while staying within the museum’s existing built footprint. Circulation throughout the Frick will also be redesigned to provide a more natural visitor flow through the building’s exhibition galleries, library and public spaces.

Olafur Eliasson To Bring LEGO Installation "The Collectivity Project" To The High Line

As part of their series of "Panorama" exhibits being presented this year, Friends Of The High Line have announced that they will host Olafur Eliasson's installation, "The Collectivity Project" from May 29th until September 30th this year on the High Line at West 30th Street. The installation, which has previously traveled to Tirana, Oslo, and Copenhagen, features an interactive imaginary cityscape made of over two tons of white LEGO bricks, with visitors invited to design, build and rebuild new structures as they see fit.

In a twist to the installation's usual presentation, High Line Art has invited high-profile architects who are working in the vicinity of the High Line to contribute one "visionary" LEGO design for the installation's opening, with BIG, David M. Schwarz Architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, James Corner Field Operations, OMA New York, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Selldorf Architects, SHoP, and Steven Holl Architects all contributing one building which the public will then be able to adapt, extend or work around.

3 New Films Showcase 7 Architects Redefining the Role of Women in Architecture

"I cannot, in whole conscience, recommend architecture as a profession for girls. I know some women who have done well at it, but the obstacles are so great that it takes an exceptional girl to make a go of it. If she insisted on becoming an architect, I would try to dissuade her. If then, she was still determined, I would give her my blessing–she could be that exceptional one."
– Pietro Belluschi, FAIA from the 1955 New York Life Insurance Company brochure, “Should You Be an Architect?”

With great fanfare, in mid-October 2014 on the opening night of the 6th annual Architecture and Design Film Festival in Manhattan, Festival Director Kyle Bergman announced that the festival’s special focus this year was on women in architecture. “We’ve been wanting to feature women in architecture for a while now,” he told me, “and this year we finally have the films to make that happen,” referring to three new documentaries: Gray Matters (2014), Making Space: 5 Women Changing the Face of Architecture (2014) and Zaha Hadid: Who Dares Wins (2013).

Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development

New York City have released images of fourteen tower proposals as part of a controversial scheme to bring affordable housing to the 85 acre Brooklyn Bridge Park, originally designed by Michael van Valkenburgh and realised in 2004. The schemes, designed to be located on “two coveted development sites” on Pier 6, have been actively met with strong opposition from local community members. The park and surrounding area has seen a number of interesting recent regeneration proposals, from an 11,000ft² beach beneath the Brooklyn Bridge to a triangular pier proposed by BIG. Read on to see the proposals in detail, including those by Asymptote, Pelli Clarke Pelli, Davis Brody Bond, and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).

Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development - Image 1 of 4Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development - Image 2 of 4Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development - Image 3 of 4Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development - Image 4 of 4Fourteen Tower Proposals Unveiled for Controversial Brooklyn Bridge Park Development - More Images+ 37

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Taps Selldorf to Design Expansion

New York-based Selldorf Architects has been summoned to the West Coast to design an expansion that will triple the size of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s (MCASD) campus in La Jolla. Chosen after a competitive country-wide search, Selldorf is expected to add an addition 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, which will provide opportunities for temporary exhibitions and large scale installations, as well as house the museum’s 4,571-piece permanent collection.