The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas announced that it is planning an expansion. The project will be overseen by its original architect, Moishe Safdie. The expansion will allow more room for showcasing its collection and for education, cultural programming and community events.
The expansion would add nearly 100,000 sq. ft to the museum’s current 200,000 sq. ft pavilion complex, which features concrete walls, bands of red cedar and copper roofs that all react to light and moisture in a forested Ozark setting. Two new buildings pierced with skylights would house galleries, education spaces, studios and event spaces, and a bridge between the two structures with glass walls and skylights would include a café and potentially allow for the display of art that is not sensitive to light. A new circular outdoor event plaza will be built which will provide space for outdoor community programming.
The expansion project is likely to be start in 2022 and end in 2024. Next month the museum will complete a reconfigured main lobby and courtyard that was also designed by Safdie Architects.
The museum has welcomed 5 million people since its opening in 2011. The Walmart heiress Alice Walton, the founder of Crystal Bridges and the richest woman in the US, said in a statement: “It’s timely to enlarge our building and make sure more people can access these offerings.” Enlisting Safdie Architects for the expansion, she says, “will create a unified experience for enjoying art, nature and architecture.”
