The Harvard Art Museums project consolidates the collection under one roof, creating new opportunities for viewing the museums’ diverse collection and studying interrelationships that were previously obscured as a result of physical separation. Working with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), the project was designed to renovate the historic Fogg Art Museum structure and provide a new addition that would house the Sackler Musuem, the Busch Reisinger Museum and classrooms including a new 300-person theater.
New and old are knit together with a glass rooftop addition that provides a new home for a dramatically expanded museum Study Center and the university’s renowned Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. As a signature Renzo Piano assembly, the glass structure brings carefully controlled natural light deep into the museum returning the Fogg’s historic courtyard to its original place as the museum’s core.\
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street Expansion and Renovation
Project Statistics
LOCATION
Cambridge, MA / United States
COMPLETED
2014
TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE
200,000 GSF
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Fine Arts Museum, Conservation laboratory, Study Center, Classrooms, Film Screening Theatre
LEED STATUS
LEED-NC v 2.2 Gold Certified
PUBLICATIONS & CONFERENCES
RELATED LINKS
Team
Charles S. Klee, AIA, LEED AP
Principal-in-Charge
James H. Collins, FAIA, LEED AP
Design Principal
Sarah Radding, AIA, LEED Green Assoc.
Project Manager
Leon Auvil, Jr., AIA, CSI, CDT
Project Architect
For over ten years, PAYETTE worked with Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) and Harvard to study options for the collection. PAYETTE led the Feasibility Study, serving as the day-to-day conduit for the Allston Development Group, University Planning Office and FAS Planning Office; working with Harvard constituents and RPBW to identify, develop and evaluate various development scenarios; coordinating the work of various consultants and compiling the final report. The results of the Study suggested that the museum should be consolidated on the 32 Quincy Street site and the Fine Arts Library should be consolidated with the History of Arts and Architecture department across the street. Furthermore, it supported the idea that the existing historic structure could be maintained, but interestingly, all of the additions since the original 1927 construction would need to be removed.
Working alongside Renzo Piano’s team, PAYETTE was the Architect-of-Record for this project. As a team, we are seamless and PAYETTE has served as the primary client contact for many parts of the design including the Straus Center for Conservation, the Collections Storage facilities and all “back-of-house” functions.
Photography copyright Nic Lehoux
