The Joslyn Art Museum in Nebraska announced that the restoration and expiation works led by Snøhetta and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture (APMA) are nearing completion, as the transformed institution is scheduled to reopen on September 10, 2024. The new 42,000-square-foot Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, designed by Snøhetta and APMA will add new gallery spaces to Nebraska’s largest art museum, becoming the centerpiece of the large-scale project for reimagining the visitor experience.
As one of the most important cultural landmarks in the Great Plains region, the Joslyn Museum is comprised of the Art Deco Memorial building, inaugurated in 1931, with subsequent additions such as the 1994 Walter & Suzanne Scott Pavilion, designed by Norman Foster. The museum’s collection represents 5,000 years of human creativity and the world’s diverse cultures.
Snøhetta’s design extends the existing building, adding a curved low-slung volume that emerges from a glass atrium that connects it to the Art Deco building and the 1994 addition. The new pavilion sits atop two granite garden walls, using transparency to create a clearer arrival experience that also increases connectivity with the existing spaces. At the first floor, the atrium is completed with the museum shop and a multi-functional community space.
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The new façade is emphasized through a horizontal texture inspired by the 1931 Joslyn Building’s monumental Grand Steps. The light-colored precast panels of the façade are embedded with a pink aggregate in another hint to the Etowah Fleuri (Georgia Pink) marble of the existing buildings. A new raised sculpture garden completes the visitor experience, featuring a collection of landscape scenes imagined as outdoor ‘rooms’ wrapping around the site. The new pavilion highlights this connection to the outdoor spaces by opening views of the landscape from the gathering spaces integrated throughout the building.
Honoring Joslyn’s historic character while creating a fresh expression for the museum’s future has guided our design. Our comprehensive reconsideration of the museum grounds, the existing interiors, and the newest wing all work together to create a more inviting entry for the growing spectrum of people who visit the museum. Our goal has been to provide a harmonious place for guests, art, and gathering that will become a vessel for inspiration and creativity to flourish. - Craig Dykers, Founding Partner of Snøhetta
Snøhetta has just announced the official opening of the long-anticipated Beijing City Library, a unique space for learning and knowledge-sharing featuring the world’s largest climatized reading space. The internationally-recognized office has also released images showcasing the construction progress at the Shanghai Grand Opera House in China, as well as the nearly completed Čoarvemátta cultural and educational facility.
