gwathmey siegel & associates: crocker museum now complete

‘crocker museum’ by gwathmey siegel & associates in sacramento, california all images courtesy gwathmey siegel & associates photographer: bruce damonte

the addition and renovation of sacramento’s crocker art museum, one of the late charles gwathmey’s last major public projects, has been complete. the 11,613 m2 ‘teel family pavilion’ by gwathmey siegel & associates more than triples the museum’s size, adding to the 125 year-old historical structure.

entrance

project architect and associate partner gerald gendreau says, ‘having been a part of this project since master planning first began, it’s been tremendously exciting to watch the building take shape, and now to see construction complete. the design for the new crocker art museum is about adding to the urban collage–complementing the historic art gallery building, tying to the green space that fronts the museum, even engaging travelers on the adjacent highway–all while giving the museum flexible spaces for growth now and into the future.’

exterior views

the compositional strategy for the project aims to establish an iconic presence while framing the existing complex in a coherent physical dynamic. the result is a collaged image of both the old and the new. the interior directly connects to the existing art gallery building, allowing for a continuous circulation from the original and the addition, vertically and horizontally.

entrance lobby

gallery space

in addition to extensive new galleries for temporary exhibitions and the display of the crocker’s permanent collection, the ‘teel family pavilion’ includes expanded educational and art studio space, a teacher resource center, a space for participatory arts programming for children and adults, an enlarged library, and a new student exhibition space and teaching galleries. the project also provides space for on-site collections care and storage, as well as a new conservation lab. new public amenities, including a 260-seat auditorium, a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, and a redesigned museum store, all aim to make the museum the cultural resource for california and the state’s many visitors.

auditorium

view from the highway