Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has announced plans for a major expansion by Safdie Architects in Arkansas. The new addition will increase the size of the current facilities by 50 percent, adding nearly 100,000 square feet to the 200,000-square-foot facility. The expansion will showcase the museum's growing collection and provide space for educational and outreach initiatives, cultural programming, and community events.
Ten years after completing the original design for the museum, Safdie Architects has returned to create new structures housing additional galleries, educational facilities, event spaces, a café, and new indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. “It has been a joy to see Crystal Bridges’ enthusiastic reception by the public. We are honored to be back and working with the museum to realize a series of new facilities which will enrich the diversity of the museum experience,” said Moshe Safdie, founder of Safdie Architects.
The expansion adds to the collection of pavilions in the sloping landscape, and it will feature a continued use of regional materials such as concrete, timber, and fieldstone sourced from Northwest Arkansas. New interior/exterior connections throughout the project create links between the galleries and program spaces and the surrounding park and trails. A central highlight will be a circular event plaza that aims to increase opportunities for outdoor community programming and performances.
The project is currently in the design development phase with construction commencing in early 2022 with the goal of completing construction in 2024. As a precursor to the expansion, a reconfigured main lobby and courtyard, also designed by Safdie Architects, will be completed in May 2021.
Project Credits
- Design Architect: Safdie Architects
- Associate Architect: Hight Jackson
- Structural, Façade, and MEP Engineers: Buro Happold
- Civil Engineers: CEI Engineers
- Landscape Architects: Coen+Partners
- Lighting: LAM
- Contractor: Flintco
News via Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
