Grand Rapids Art Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Worcester Art Museum
In 2013, the Worcester Art Museum commissioned WHY to develop a 10-year phased masterplan investigating all facets of the museum’s future.
In collaboration with the museum’s leadership and Massachusetts’ Cultural Council, WHY is leading a series of workshops and discussions to address museum programming, collections, physical footprint, and visitor experience. Emerging from these discussions will be a strategy for repairing facility infrastructure and tapping into regional funding opportunities. This unique process of developing a long-term plan while simultaneously implementing solutions enables the museum to build momentum for an ongoing transformation.
Key info
Design Architect
Executed by Workshop HY Architecture & Design DPC
Location
Worcester, MA
Year
- Commenced 2015, Masterplan Ongoing
Size
- 180,000 sq. ft.
Role
Planner, Architect
New ADA Accessible Entrance/Exit Bridge
Completed in November 2015, a 50-foot-long concrete slab on steel structure entrance bridge marks the first improvement in wHY’s master plan. The bridge restores function to the Museum’s original entrance while integrating contemporary design to the Salisbury entrance.
Responding to context, the guardrails and handrails are of architectural bronze to match the existing metals used on the façade and interior of the original building. wHY’s material choice respects the existing conditions of the building while the sculptural quality of the guardrail differentiates it as a separate and new element.
Collaborators