One of the jewels in New Jersey’s cultural crown is Princeton University’s Art Museum, which was established in 1882, and whose present collection exceeds 110,000 objects. The museum is known for its Greek and Roman antiquities and Western European paintings. It also has a noteworthy collection of Asian art, as well as an extensive photography array.
But like most other institutions, Princeton’s museum only has enough space to exhibit a tiny fraction of its collection. Last month, the Art Museum unveiled the designs for a new 144,000-sf museum that would double the size of the existing building. James Steward, the museum’s director, estimates that the percentage of objects on view from permanent collections would triple to 6% in the new building, from 2% in the existing museum. And elements of visible storage will be featured throughout the new building.
Demolition of the existing museum—which is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic—is expected to begin in the middle of next year, with the goal of reopening in the new museum by late 2024.
CAMPUS ART MUSEUM DESIGN ALLOWS FOR GREATER ACCESS, CIRCULATION
Architect Sir David Adjaye’s three-story design breaks down the mass of the museum by creating nine interlocking cubes that relate to the scale of the university structures around it. (The current museum is located in the middle of the university’s wooded main campus.) Adjaye Associates collaborated on the museum’s design with executive architect Cooper Robertson.
There will be six ground-floor entrances in the new building (as opposed to one in the existing museum), making what Adjaye calls “a museum in the round.” The design also creates two enclosed “art walks” running north-south and east-west through the building’s ground floor.
A singular “lens” moment at the complex’s northeast corner creates an intimate viewing and reading room, affords views onto the campus, and shapes a display opportunity for unique works from the collections. Image: Adjaye Associates
Each of the museum’s seven pavilions will include intimate spaces made from bronze and glass. All of the galleries will be on the second floor, a move that’s intended to smudge the lines that traditionally demarcate art by geography and historical period.
A CAMPUS WITHING A CAMPUS, THE ART MUSEUM WILL BE A DYNAMIC LEARNING CENTER
The double-height Grand Hall sits at the heart of the Museum complex and will function as a lecture hall and performance space that will host many of the Museum’s larger events. Image: Adjaye Associates
The design also includes outdoor terraces and spaces for performance and events that can accommodate anywhere from 200 to 2,000 people. These spaces include a hall for lectures, performances, and events; classrooms, two labs and a rooftop café. The design also shapes a new home for the University’s Department of Art & Archaeology, while retaining Marquand Library. Together, the three units would create a campus within a campus, and will continue to function as a dynamic center for research and teaching.
“I want the building to feel that it’s not just a hall of sacred objects but as … a common hall, so students can just go there if they feel like it and want to work close to those objects,” says Adjaye, whose firm was selected for this project in 2018. “If they have a compelling urge to see an incredible print or a sculpture or a delicate ceramic or bronze piece, it becomes a resource.”
The new museum will be built on the site of the older building, and be home to the university's Art & Archeology department. Image; Princeton University Art Museum
Steward, the museum’s director, told the Art Newspaper that 98% of the funds for the construction have been raised. He declined to disclose the construction cost.
Adjaye Associates has several prominent museum projects under its belt. It was one of several architect firms involved in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. The firm also designed the Studio Museum that’s under construction in Harlem in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, and the Ruby City art center in San Antonio.
Adjaye also served as a visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Architecture from 2008 to 2010.
Related Stories
Architects | Jun 14, 2018
Chicago Architecture Center sets Aug. 31 as opening date
The Center is located at 111 E. Wacker Drive.
Museums | Jun 1, 2018
The new Orange County Museum of Art will be Orange County’s largest center for arts and culture
Morphosis designed the building.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
Museums | Apr 2, 2018
‘Canopy of Peace’ to rise 150 feet above The National WWII Museum
The piece will tie together the six-acre campus.
Museums | Mar 27, 2018
The future of museums: The ultimate visitor experience
Kirill Pivovarov discusses how museums and retail stores are influencing each other to create a better visitor experience. Special thanks to Paul Conder for contributing his retail insights.
Museums | Feb 26, 2018
*UPDATED* Design team unveils plans for the renovated and expanded Gateway Arch Museum
The goal of the project is to create closer and more robust connections between the Gateway Arch Museum and the landscape of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Museums | Jan 11, 2018
Suzhou Science & Technology Museum will highlight new cultural district in Shishan Park
The 600,000-sf museum will be about 62 miles northwest of Shanghai.
Museums | Dec 12, 2017
History museum embodies the culture of the Oregon coast
The barnlike structure comprises 15,000 sf of space.
Museums | Oct 3, 2017
Denmark’s new LEGO experience hub looks like it’s made out of giant LEGO blocks
The 12,000-sm building is part of Billund, Denmark’s goal to become the ‘Capital for Children.’
Museums | Sep 28, 2017
Tunnel-boring machine will be the centerpiece of a planned 150,000-sf Metro Museum in Wuhan, China
GreenbergFarrow beat out five other design firms for the opportunity to design the museum.