Five major firms have been shortlisted for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery's $80 million expansion in Buffalo, New York. Chosen for their "design intellect" and ability to collaborate, the competing firms will envision ways to expand the gallery's exhibition space and create a new public urban area that maximizes the site's potential, as the Albright-Knox campus is located on the edge of Delaware Park - one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s major works.
“The selection of the architects reflects that malleability, because none of them has a fingerprint style,” Albright-Knox director Janne Sirén said. “All of them, almost, specialize in an ability to build for a given context.”
The five practices include:
- Snøhetta
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
- OMA
- wHY
- Allied Works Architecture
“There are only two reasons why a person in Paris or in London will get on an airplane and fly to Buffalo,” Sirén said. “They will come to see the Albright-Knox and its collection, and the architectural legacy of the city.”
A winning practice will be announced in June. The gallery plans to break ground no sooner than 2018.
Story via The Buffalo News
