Ayers Saint Gross, Architecture for Art + Culture

ARCHITECTURE FOR ART + CULTURE A Collection of Art & Cultural Projects by AYERS SAINT GROSS

ARCHITECTURE FOR ART + CULTURE Ayers Saint Gross believes that places for art and culture are fundamental to an enlightened society. We design museums, visitor centers, libraries and community buildings to educate, inspire and delight. Our architecture for art and culture is designed around the following principles: ENGAGING THE VISITOR: We develop exhibit narratives and themes to target audiences and capture their curiosity.

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS: We design spaces to preserve, exhibit and celebrate artifacts while improving lighting and environmental controls to enhance their display.

ELEVATING THE MISSION: We work with institutions to find new ways of attracting visitors through long-range plans for buildings, landscapes and interiors.

ENGAGING THE VISITOR: We

develop our designs to engage specific audiences and capture their curiosity. Our projects reflect the missions of the institutions in physical form, often acting as didactic tools to advance lessons imparted by exhibits and collections.

Clearly organized spaces with a guiding narrative help the visitor understand themes and content.

Carefully planned sequences and paths are intuitive and allow visitors to experience spaces at their own pace. This approach supports changing collections, displays and activities, while encouraging visitors to return and discover more about the institution. In addition to galleries and exhibit spaces, we design amenities such as classrooms, theaters, museum shops and cafes to enhance the visitor experience.

ENGAGING THE VISITOR

Visitors to a contemporary museum within mud-brick ruins learn about Saudi Arabia’s first capital, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

ATTURAIF LIVING MUSEUM

Old Duriyah, Saudi Arabia

5

A renovated shoe factory hums with creative activity on an urban arts campus.

MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART

Baltimore, Maryland

ENGAGING THE VISITOR

7

ENGAGING THE VISITOR

The legacy of Alfred I. du Pont and his luxurious Delaware estate, Nemours, are showcased in a visitor center designed as a museum.

NEMOURS MANSION & GARDEN VISITOR CENTER

Wilmington, Delaware

9

The nation’s largest metropolitan zoo seeks to educate visitors about the urgency of global conservation through a master plan for its 265 acres.

BRONX ZOO MASTER PLAN

New York, New York

ENGAGING THE VISITOR

11

ENGAGING THE VISITOR

A new visitor center and museum introduce Thomas Jefferson’s bold ideas to the 450,000 tourists who experience Monticello each year.

THOMAS JEFFERSON VISITOR CENTER & SMITH EDUCATION CENTER

Charlottesville, Virginia

13

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS: We design state-of-the-art spaces to exhibit, protect and preserve artifacts at museums, libraries and visitor centers. Our work includes the design of display and storage spaces, security systems, lighting and environmental controls to safeguard collections and enhance their display. Collaboration with curators, exhibit designers, lighting experts and engineers ensures our buildings reflect the most appropriate museology and technology.

So that institutions can better manage and care for their collections, we design archival storage and conservation labs as a routine part of our projects.

These spaces are designed to respect the integrity of the artifact and protect against damage or loss that might affect the potential for research and education. In some cases, we create special rooms to allow rare collections to be publicly displayed for the first time.

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

Skillful renovations and additions safeguard the irreplaceable collections of Maryland’s premier library.

ENOCH PRATT FREE LIBRARY

Baltimore, Maryland

17

The National Library for the Study of George Washington is designed to house Washington’s books and papers, and provide an educational center at Mount Vernon.

FRED W. SMITH NATIONAL LIBRARY FOR THE STUDY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON Mount Vernon, Virginia

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

19

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

A wooden sailing ship found buried at Ground Zero is preserved at the Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory, part of a museum service center showcasing historic artifacts.

JEFFERSON PATTERSON PARK ARCHEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION FACILITY

St. Leonard, Maryland

21

A new waterfront facility and park support the National Aquarium’s growing animal collections and conservation programs.

CENTER FOR AQUATIC LIFE & CONSERVATION Baltimore, Maryland

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

23

CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

Steps from Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center, a new museum tells the entire story of the American Revolution for the first time.

MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

25

ELEVATING THE MISSION: A t the core of our art and cultural work is the relationship between a facilities design and the mission of the institution. We help museums, libraries and cultural organizations find new ways of achieving their goals through mission-based design for buildings, interiors and landscapes.

These visions stem from collaborations with institutions to find lasting, practical designs while anticipating change.

Our work includes formulating identities for new institutions through architecture, increasing attendance at established venues with new programs and attracting new audiences to facilities designed for specific groups. These projects start with observations and analysis of the current physical setting and collections to change the institution’s future direction.

ELEVATING THE MISSION

At the Winterthur Museum, a master plan improves the visitor experience to the former du Pont estate and its unparalleled collections of Americana.

WINTERTHUR MASTER PLAN Winterthur, Delaware

29

A master plan for the Baltimore Museum of Art builds on the legacy of architect John Russell Pope to provide inspiring spaces for world-class collections.

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART MASTER PLAN

Baltimore, Maryland

ELEVATING THE MISSION

31

ELEVATING THE MISSION

Dance classes, art programs and performance venues inject artistic life into one of Washington, DC’s poorest neighborhoods.

TOWN HALL EDUCATION, ARTS & RECREATION CENTER (THEARC)

Washington, DC

33

The District of Columbia Jewish Community Center improves its original downtown location with a gallery, a theater and public amenities.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER Washington, DC

ELEVATING THE MISSION

35

ELEVATING THE MISSION

Replacing a university’s outdated fine arts facility, a new loft-style building acts as a canvas in supporting creativity and innovation.

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY ART & DESIGN BUILDING Fairfax, Virginia

37

Photo credits: Pages 6-7 / All Images by Robert Noonan Page 8 / Courtesy, The Nemours Foundation Page 9 / Image by Alan Karchmer Page 10 / (Top Left) Courtesy, Wildlife Conservation Society Page 11 / Image by D. DeMello © Wildlife Conservation Society Page 12 / Courtesy, Monticello, Image by Stephanie Gross Page 13 / Images by Alan Karchmer and (top right) Dan Grogan Page 16 / Image by Alan Karchmer Page 17 / (Top Left and Right) Courtesy of Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland’s State Library Resource Center, Baltimore, Maryland (Top Middle and Bottom Right) Images by Alan Karchmer Page 20 / Image by Robert Creamer Page 21 / (Top) Images by Robert Creamer (Bottom Right) Courtesy, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum Pages 24-25 / Courtesy, The American Revolution Center Pages 28-29 / Courtesy, Winterthur (Top right) Courtesy, Winterthur, Image by Gavin Ashworth Pages 32-33 / All Images by Ron Solomon Pages 34-35 / All Images by Alan Karchmer Pages 36-37 / All Images by Paul Burk

Ayers Saint Gross engages people and places to create designs that enrich the world.

We have a proven track record in developing elegant and effective designs for the collection and dissemination of knowledge and culture. Our firm of more than 130 professionals is organized into cross-disciplinary studios specializing in the design of art and cultural facilities, academic and student life buildings, mixed-use developments, planning, interiors, landscape architecture, environmental signage and graphic design.

AYERS SAINT GROSS

www.asg-architects.com

1040 Hull Street | Suite 100 | Baltimore, MD | 21230