Building Campaign
The plan developed by the founders of the Cleveland Museum of Art--erect a beautiful building, fill it with the finest works of art that could be found, and open its doors to the people of this city free of charge--was not only simple, it was also effective.
Historically, the museum welcomes about 500,000 visitors each year and its collection, which numbers more than 42,000 works of art, is widely acknowledged as one of the finest in the world.
To accommodate the growth of its collection and educational activities, the museum expanded several times in the past 50 years. While these additions provided much-needed galleries, classrooms, and workspaces, they also gradually obscured the clarity of the original plan and created an odd assortment of buildings that were difficult for visitors to make their way through and, by the end of the last decade, in need of major improvements and repairs.
To address these problems and to enable it to serve the needs of the community in the future, the Cleveland Museum of Art has recently embarked upon a major renovation and expansion. As of June 2008, more than $204 million had been raised (see news release). Scheduled for completion in 2012, this project will quite literally transform the museum and, at the same time, sustain the vision of its founders, who believed that the arts should be accessible to all.
Rafael Viñoly—Honoring the Past While Looking to the Future
In 2000, after completing a thorough analysis of the museum's current facilities, the Board of Trustees initiated a search for an architect who would be both sympathetic to the history and character of this institution and capable of shaping a broad and compelling vision of its future.
They found the right match for these needs in Rafael Viñoly. Widely acclaimed as one of the leading architects of his generation, Viñoly is renowned for his elegant and expressive use of structural form and modern materials such as glass and steel. His work also reflects a sensitivity to context and an intuitive understanding of how to respond to a specific site--attributes that made him an ideal choice for this project.
His plan is clear, composed of simple, yet elegant forms, and, most significantly, an intelligent response to the needs of the museum and the community.
Viñoly recognized that the original building, designed by local architects Hubbell and Benes and completed in 1916, should remain the focal point of the expanded museum, describing it metaphorically as a beautiful jewel set within a new ring.
His proposal called for the complete restoration of both this landmark structure and the superb addition on the north designed by Marcel Breuer and completed in 1971, and the addition of two symmetrical wings on the east and west sides.
Together, these new and renovated buildings will provide a significant amount of additional space for the display of works of art, expanded facilities for education, a range of amenities for visitors, and storage and workrooms that will allow for the proper care and safekeeping of the museums collection.
At the heart of Viñoly's design is a great, light-filled courtyard sheltered by a gracefully curving glass roof. This will be central to the experience of the museum, orienting visitors and helping them understand how the building and the collections are organized. It also promises to become one of the most beautiful and impressive civic spaces in the entire city.
See the Cleveland Plain Dealer's June 22, 2008 interactive tour of the 1916 building, including a video with museum director Timothy Rub.
Director discusses project (video)
Building Project Milestones
Video Features
Building Project Talks
Contact Susan Jaros, Deputy Director for Development and External Affairs