Museum interior spaces must be as carefully designed as their
facades if not more so to meet the needs of both the art on display
and the viewers. The design and construction of art museums in
America thus is a complex process, and one rarely undertaken
lightly. The architect must design a building that effectively
supports the art exhibited. The museumgoers interaction with the
art must be enhanced by the architecture, while amenities such as
restaurants, cafes, gift shops, and accessible and convenient
restrooms ensure their comfort. Finally, the storage of works of
art not on display must be accounted for in the building
design.
American Art Museum Architecture: Documents and Design explores
all aspects of, and approaches to, museum architecture the
aesthetic, the practical, the innovative, and the functional.
Architectural historian Eric M. Wolf delves into the archives of
some of the country s premier institutions not only to explore the
design decisions made at their founding, but also to understand how
those institutions have continued to evolve along with their
collections, up to the present day. Wolf examines the gradual
development of six major museums: the Frick Collection, the Museum
of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York;
the Menil Collection in Houston, the Georgia O Keefe Museum in
Santa Fe, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He explains how each
museum was originally conceived, how the architecture reflected or
modified that original conception, and how the buildings have been
reconsidered or revised in later years, as the nature of art, art
display, and museum-going has evolved. Extensive archival plans,
documents, and photographs enhance the narrative.
American Art Museum Architecture also considers the unique
architectural challenges often posed by contemporary art.
Conceptual art, video installations, and large-scale pieces are
increasingly found in permanent collections, at small galleries and
encyclopedic institutions alike. Museums built decades ago may have
to renovate in order to accommodate such pieces, while newer
museums devoted to contemporary work must tackle new architectural
challenges when considering how best to house this work.
Encompassing both grand nineteenth-century institutions and
avant-garde contemporary art collections, American Art Museum
Architecture is a timely and fascinating exploration of the
ever-changing relationship between architecture and art."
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