Clad in the same
Etowah Fleuri (Georgia Pink) marble found on the exterior of the original building, the Walter & Suzanne Scott Pavilion is a solid rectangular form, minimally articulated but similarly proportioned, and parallel — a shadow, as it were — to the original building, to which it is linked by a great glass atrium running almost the full length of the north facade.
This 1994 addition, designed by world-renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster (left; now, Lord Norman Foster of Thames Bank), added seven additional galleries, with over 14,000 square feet of spectacular space for special exhibitions and the Museum's collection of modern and contemporary art (below, top). Featuring sweeping, vaulted ceilings that reach 27 feet at some points, these galleries are illuminated by fluorescent lights as well as controllable natural lighting provided by two skylights, running from the east to west end of the galleries on the north and south sides. Claude Engle, who designed the lighting system for the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. and the Louvre in Paris, served
as the lighting consultant for Joslyn's project.
The new Pavilion also included state-of-the-art collection management facilities, office space, a kitchen for the Museum's food service operations, coatrooms, and restrooms.
The 6,000-square-foot Conagra Brands Atrium (below), located between and parallet to the two buildings and within the Scott Pavilion, reaches 45 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 200 feet long. Encased in glass, it serves as a magnificent link from the original building to the new marble structure. The floor of the atrium is opulent
Verde Lavras (gray-green) granite. Seating for Joslyn's Café Durham is located at the west end of the atrium.
A 1,600-square-foot bridge, also finished in the gray-green stone, connects the main floor of the original building to the main floor of the Foster-designed addition and overlooks the expansive glass-enclosed space as well as the outdoor Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden. In 2000, Dale Chihuly's monumental glass sculpture,
Chihuly: Inside & Out, was added to the east side of the bridge as the first commissioned artwork in the atrium.
In addition to the public entrance at the top of the Memorial building's impressive grand staircase, the Scott Pavilion features an accessible entrance at the east end of the Atrium. Used by most visitors, this entrance recently was upgraded to include a more energy efficient, revolving glass door.
Pictured below: Night view of the Scott Pavilion (right) and Memorial building (left) connected by the glass Conagra Brands Atrium. This photograph was taken prior to 2000, when the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture,
Chihuly Inside & Out, was commissioned for the east end of the glass atrium.
Click here to see it and take a 360º tour.
