Chase Center RISD Museum of Art
Rafael Moneo

Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

The Rhode Island School of Design has announced the public opening of The Chase Center. The much-anticipated building, the premiere exhibition space for RISD students on campus, will become a major focal point on North Main Street.

Bordered on three sides by historic buildings, the five-story glass and brick structure will significantly increase the exhibition and programming capabilities of the RISD Museum.

The facade includes both clear and etched glass complemented by red brick. The horizontal courses of glass are accentuated by aluminum fins at the corners of the building, giving the glass an upward motion. The low iron, "water clear" glass is backed by a mirrored surface and acid etched on the outer face to give it a silvery look.


Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

Built in coves, the clear glass windows bisect floors at interesting heights and depths, creating both unusual views into galleries and out to the surrounding city streets. UV-shielding gallery windows allow the use of natural light while still protecting the artwork.

The horizontal band of brick, monolithic in tone due to the matching-colored mortar, appears to both anchor the building and float between the plate glass of the store front below and the mercurial glass facade above.

The brick is a reference to the traditional materials in the Providence city-scape, yet distinguished from them by the intense color.


Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

The Chase Center Lobby welcomes visitors into both the Chase Center and to the new Museum wing. All visitor oriented facilities are located in the lobby. Stairs lead to the second floor student galleries, an elevator to all floors, and an escalator to the third floor Museum gallery. The floors are polished concrete.


Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

The third floor galleries will provide The RISD Museum with more than 6,100 new square feet of temporary exhibition space - more than double the size of the Museum's single largest existing gallery.

Specifically designed for changing exhibitions, this space can accommodate massive contemporary works of art as well as traveling shows of national prominence. The color shown here was chosen by Dale Chihuly for his site specific inaugural installation in the new space.


Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

The Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, seating 212, was designed as a flexible space for public programming.


Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/courtesy RISD Museum of Art

The building has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The inaugural exhibition, by RISD alumnus Dale Chihuly, opens September 27, 2008.