OMA reveal design for bold extension to Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery
– Shohei Shigematsu, OMA partner
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York State has announced the next stage of its expansion ambitions by unveiling the design for a bold, freestanding new building.
International architects OMA have created the plans for the 29,000sq ft (2,700sq m) North Building extension, which will house parts of the museum’s world-renowned art collection and important visitor amenities.
The building is envisioned to have a wraparound promenade that visually and aesthetically connects the interior of the building with the existing campus and landscape.
“The north building comprises three levels offering diverse gallery experiences,” explained OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu, who will lead the project. “Encircling the second level gallery is a double-height promenade, a flexible space with 360-degree views to the surrounding buildings and landscape.
“The building is enveloped by a translucent façade that achieves an open and ephemeral quality and engages the external environment. Layers of visual and spatial connections throughout the north building foster dialogue with the architectural legacy of the Albright-Knox while inviting contemporary audiences to discover the diverse activities within.”
In addition to designing the North Building, OMA will also work to preserve and improve the gallery’s existing campus. Planned interventions include creating a new education wing in the lower level of the 1962 building, adding a new point of entry and exit on the east façade, and transforming a surface parking lot into a green landscape and gathering place.
A scenic bridge will be added to the landscape, connecting the North Building with the gallery’s existing facilities and a sculpture garden.
Janne Sirén, a director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, said: “This new plan solves all the programmatic and operational challenges the museum has faced while meeting the priorities our community has so clearly expressed to us.
“Our goal has always been to make the museum a more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive place, physically and philosophically, while adding to Buffalo’s remarkable architectural legacy.”
The Albright-Knox, which was founded as The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy in 1862, is the sixth-oldest public art museum in the United States. It has a collection of over 8,000 modern and contemporary artworks from around the world, but only around 200 can be shown at any one time due to space restrictions.
The existing Beaux-Arts marble building was designed by Edward B. Green and opened in 1905, with a new wing, auditorium and sculpture garden added by Gordon Bunshaft in 1962.
The expansion has been planned to maximise the social and economic impact of the museum, transforming it into “a vibrant hub where people from all walks of life can connect with art, ideas, and one another.”
OMA were selected to design the extension ahead of Allied Works Architecture, Bjarke Ingels Group, Snøhetta and wHY.
Albright-Knox Art Gallery Buffalo New York State OMA North Building Shohei Shigematsu
Snøhetta, BIG and OMA among big names fighting for Albright-Knox art museum expansion contract
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
