Gehry Partners, LLP - Corcoran Gallery of Art

New addition
Gehry Partners, LLP
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Washington, DC

"The addition's rambunctious appearance, pierced by a series of long, sinewy windows, will be a powerful contrast to the hard, repetitive stone surface of the original building, as if all of the artistic ideals trapped beneath the somber stone have joyously spilled out into the open."
Nicolai Ouroussoff
Architecture Critic
Los Angeles Times

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located in Washington, DC, on 17th Street NW at New York Avenue, adjacent to the White House and the National Mall. Founded in 1869, the Corcoran Gallery of Art is Washington’s oldest art museum and its only college of art and design.
The current facilities include a building designed by Ernest Flagg that opened in 1897, as well as an addition designed by Charles Platt that opened in 1928.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners

Both the original building and the addition currently contain two floors of galleries, administrative offices and support facilities, as well as facilities for the college of art and design. The original building plans for the existing facilities were never fully realized, and because the existing facilities cannot accommodate the Corcoran’s growing permanent collection or its recent increase in student enrollment, an international design competition was held and the design of a new and final addition was commissioned.

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners

The addition creates a new main entrance on New York Avenue that leads to a new atrium, placed on axis with the existing 17th Street NW entrance and atrium. The central location of the new atrium creates a unifying element between the existing facilities and the addition.
Two distinct types of gallery space will be included in the addition. A series of more traditional gallery spaces will be located within a cluster of rectilinear volumes located in the new atrium. A series of more sculptural galleries will be located within three sculptural volumes that animate the façade along New York Avenue.

In order to insure that the college of art and design would have an equally strong identity within the institution, a second new atrium, devoted exclusively to use by the college of art and design, is located below grade along New York Avenue.

Photo: arcspace
A large working model at Gehry Partners

Large, sculptural skylights at street level flood the atrium with natural light. Studios for the college of art and design are located within a series of sculptural elements in the atrium that relate to the forms of the façade above. Additional facilities for the college of art and design are located adjacent to the atrium. The new main entrance to the museum passes between the skylights at street level, providing equal presence to the museum and to the college of art and design as visitors arrive.

Photo: arcspace
The Corcoran Team lead by Project Designer Edwin Chan

Sketch courtesy Gehry Partners

Model photo courtesy Gehry Partners
The Competition Model

Client: Corcoran Gallery of Art
Area: 270,000 gross square feet
Schedule:
Competition: June, 1999
Begin Design : October, 1999
Expected Start of Construction: Summer, 2003
Expected Completion: Winter, 2005

Architect:
Gehry Partners, LLP
Design Partner: Frank Gehry:
Project Partner: Randy Jefferson
Project Designer: Edwin Chan
Project Manager: George Metzger
Project Architect: Tensho Takemori
Project Team:
Cara Cragan
Chris Deckwitz
Anand Devarajan
Matt Gagnon
Sean Gallivan
Craig Gilbert
Tim Gudgel
Ana Henton
Julianna Morais
Doug Pierson
Christian Schulz
Frank Weeks

Renovation Architect: Smith Group
Colden Florance
David Greenbaum
Elsa Santoyo
Thomas Lindbloom

Structural Engineer: John A. Martin & Associates
John A. Martin
Chuck Whitaker
Ron Lee

Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing: Cosentini Associates
Igor Bienstock
Mark Malekshahi

June 3, 2002

Frank Gehry arcspace features





				Features
		New addition Gehry Partners, LLP Corcoran Gallery of Art Washington, DC "The addition's rambunctious appearance, pierced by a series of long, sinewy windows, will be a powerful contrast to the hard, repetitive stone surface of the original building, as if all of the artistic ideals trapped beneath the somber stone have joyously spilled out into the open." Nicolai Ouroussoff Architecture Critic Los Angeles Times Photo courtesy Gehry Partners The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located in Washington, DC, on 17th Street NW at New York Avenue, adjacent to the White House and the National Mall. Founded in 1869, the Corcoran Gallery of Art is Washington’s oldest art museum and its only college of art and design. The current facilities include a building designed by Ernest Flagg that opened in 1897, as well as an addition designed by Charles Platt that opened in 1928. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners Both the original building and the addition currently contain two floors of galleries, administrative offices and support facilities, as well as facilities for the college of art and design. The original building plans for the existing facilities were never fully realized, and because the existing facilities cannot accommodate the Corcoran’s growing permanent collection or its recent increase in student enrollment, an international design competition was held and the design of a new and final addition was commissioned. Photo courtesy Gehry Partners The addition creates a new main entrance on New York Avenue that leads to a new atrium, placed on axis with the existing 17th Street NW entrance and atrium. The central location of the new atrium creates a unifying element between the existing facilities and the addition. Two distinct types of gallery space will be included in the addition. A series of more traditional gallery spaces will be located within a cluster of rectilinear volumes located in the new atrium. A series of more sculptural galleries will be located within three sculptural volumes that animate the façade along New York Avenue. In order to insure that the college of art and design would have an equally strong identity within the institution, a second new atrium, devoted exclusively to use by the college of art and design, is located below grade along New York Avenue. Photo: arcspace A large working model at Gehry Partners Large, sculptural skylights at street level flood the atrium with natural light. Studios for the college of art and design are located within a series of sculptural elements in the atrium that relate to the forms of the façade above. Additional facilities for the college of art and design are located adjacent to the atrium. The new main entrance to the museum passes between the skylights at street level, providing equal presence to the museum and to the college of art and design as visitors arrive. Photo: arcspace The Corcoran Team lead by Project Designer Edwin Chan Sketch courtesy Gehry Partners Sketch courtesy Gehry Partners Model photo courtesy Gehry Partners The Competition Model Model photo courtesy Gehry Partners The Competition Model Client: Corcoran Gallery of Art Area: 270,000 gross square feet Schedule: Competition: June, 1999 Begin Design : October, 1999 Expected Start of Construction: Summer, 2003 Expected Completion: Winter, 2005 Architect: Gehry Partners, LLP Design Partner: Frank Gehry: Project Partner: Randy Jefferson Project Designer: Edwin Chan Project Manager: George Metzger Project Architect: Tensho Takemori Project Team: Cara Cragan Chris Deckwitz Anand Devarajan Matt Gagnon Sean Gallivan Craig Gilbert Tim Gudgel Ana Henton Julianna Morais Doug Pierson Christian Schulz Frank Weeks Renovation Architect: Smith Group Colden Florance David Greenbaum Elsa Santoyo Thomas Lindbloom Structural Engineer: John A. Martin & Associates John A. Martin Chuck Whitaker Ron Lee Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing: Cosentini Associates Igor Bienstock Mark Malekshahi June 3, 2002 Frank Gehry arcspace features