Studio Gang’s long-awaited US$155 million Arkansas Museum of Art (AMFA) project undergoes painstaking renovation and expansion of the aging museum, including an interesting pleated roof that helps reduce overall energy usage was finally released to the public.
Studio Gang’s vision for the museum focused on bringing together a collection of eight separate buildings added over its 87 years of operation. The company also rebuilt the original Art Deco façade and added an eye-catching, light-filled central space. Polished concrete floors are matched by attractive wood and stone ceilings, and improved access to the museum’s gallery space.
“A signature design gesture of the transformed AMFA is the central addition, an organically curving, natural-light connecting space that connects the 1937-built north entrance with the new south entrance of the park,” says Studio Gang. I will explain. “That 5,270 square feet [489-sq-m] A triple-height atrium allows for a seamless flow of people and art within the museum, distinguishing each major area of AMFA’s programming and intuitively guiding guests between spaces.
“The distinctive ‘flowering’ roof of the central addition is an innovative folded-plate structure made of cast-in-place concrete that spans the entire length of the building from north to south. The site’s topography, lowered in height by its clerestory windows, flood the interior of the museum with natural light, and its sheltered overhangs protect it from the heat of the sun. ”
Ivan Byrne
The renovation has received the LEED Silver green building standard for its sustainability. Studio Gang tried to reuse existing materials as much as possible, including the original structure and foundation made of concrete and steel, some masonry, precast concrete and metal façade sections.
As previously mentioned, innovative pleated roof overhangs line the interior of the museum, reducing solar heat gain and minimizing the energy use required for mechanical cooling. Its shape also directs rainwater into the museum’s and surrounding gardens and collects it in storage areas for irrigation. Energy-efficient underfloor radiant heating and cooling keep the cabin at a comfortable temperature. Additionally, landscaping is important, with the reintroduction of magnolia groves and other native plants and trees on the site.
The AMFA project was carried out in collaboration with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects and landscape architect SCAPE. Studio Gang will be an important year for museum design as the sculpted American Museum of Natural History is also nearing completion.
Source: AMFA, Studio Gang
