While the structure of building maintains the scale and monumental qualities of traditional museum design, the decentralized program is designed to democratize and enliven the experience of the museum as a whole. Each amenity – whether the café, store, classrooms, library, or auditorium – provide “activity tentacles” that attract and interact with visitors, inviting them into the galleries and other focused spaces within the museum. This strategy was an early version of what we later termed the “octopus” – a method of decentralizing institutional structures and placing public program elements at the periphery of the building to invite and engage. This is a distinctly different from the typical “peacock” of traditional museum design: an elegant, imposing entity with a formal centralized organization.

We believe that that the integration of natural light into the architecture of art museums is one of the most powerful ways to synergize the experience of viewing art and the expression of space. Changes in light throughout the day creates a sense of life beyond the museums walls, and provide different perspectives as visitors wander the museum and return to particular objects. At GRAM, more than 75% of the interior spaces receive natural light, and the conservation of artworks is carefully considered. By allowing light into the center of the space, the eye senses variations in light while the display surface is minimally impacted; this strategy is particularly effective in the third floor ‘lantern’ galleries, which maintain a connection to the sky while preserving the ability to display light sensitive materials.