North Carolina Museum of Art Epxansion Opens to the Public

Rendering courtesy Thomas Pfifer and Partners.

Raleigh, NC — The North Carolina Museum of Art Expansion will open to the public on April 24, 2010. The centerpiece of the expansion initiative is the new 127,000 square foot West Building. New York-based architects Thomas Phifer and Partners was design consultant and Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee was architect of record for the project. The single-story structure, surrounded by outdoor sculpture gardens, will showcase the Museum’s outstanding permanent collection of more than 5,000 objects spanning antiquity to the present day.

The North Carolina Museum of Art is the foremost cultural institution in the State of North Carolina. As the first State-operated art museum in the country, it is a national model for public art institutions. As the North Carolina Museum of Art is growing to accommodate a developing collection and an increasing number of visitors, a comprehensive master plan for expansion was developed. NCMA broke ground for the East Building in December 2006. This expansion has created a home for the permanent collection with expanded exhibition space highlighted by top-lit interior galleries and outdoor garden galleries.

Set within 200 acres of public parkland, the unique setting of the North Carolina Museum of Art allows for the rare opportunity to develop a museum within a park, a tranquil backdrop for the contemplation of artwork.

The new West Building houses the permanent collection and is directly linked to the existing North Carolina Museum of Art building which continues to house the changing exhibits as well as other educational and administrative functions. The buildings have a close, symbiotic relationship to one another creating a composition viewed as one Museum.

For a time-lapse video of construction of the West Building, visit vimeo.com/6421924.

For more information about the NCMA expansion, visit ncartmuseum.org/expansion/.

For more information on Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, visit www.pbclarchitecure.com.