Saint Louis Art Museum Opens Expansion

On 29 June the Saint Louis Art Museum opened its east wing designed by David Chipperfield Architects. The east building is seen as a "contemporary counterpart" to the museum's Beaux-Arts main building, built for the 1904 World's Fair (aka the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition). The 200,000-square-foot (186,000-square-meter) addition increases the gallery space of the museum by 30% through its 21 galleries.

Per a statement from SLAM, "The façade of the East Building features floor-to-ceiling windows and 23 monumental panels of dark polished concrete, with highlights of Missouri river aggregates. Inside the galleries, innovative coffered ceilings made of light concrete provide abundant but controlled natural light, supplemented with artificial illumination which is managed by a computerized sensor system that automatically adjusts to changing light levels throughout the day. Wide-plank white oak floors and stainless steel floor vents are designed to provide a distraction-free setting for the works of art."

Even as the city of St. Louis is in a prolonged state of shrinking—between the 2000 and 2010 censuses the city lost more than 8% of its population, with a 16% increase in vacant housing units in the same period—it has invested in its arts and cultural institutions. SLAM's new building follows the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts (Tadao Ando, 2001) and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (Allied Works, 2003), both in downtown. Next will be the implementation of Michael Van Valkenburgh's plan for the grounds around the Gateway Arch and (hopefully) the Aronson Fine Arts and Education Center designed by Brooks + Scarpa for the Laumeier Sculpture Park.