The addition of the new Margaret M. Walter Wing and the renovation of the existing building gave the Columbus Museum of Art a significant amount of new gallery, administrative, and retail space. The project included a major addition and a significant renovation of the 1974 wing of the museum, resulting in a project that is an integrated interior space featuring the original 1930’s building. The styles of the original building and the addition are very different, yet it feels like a seamless space.

The large open gallery spaces in the new wing were made possible by using one-way post tensioned concrete slabs and beams on the ground floor and long-span steel joists for the roof. In addition, the high anticipated live load dictated that a very robust structure be used in the gallery areas. Because of these factors, multiple types of structural systems were integrated into the overall design to accommodate all of the different conditions.

The renovation of the 1974 wing included adding an event space, which required that an existing column be removed while maintaining the existing roof structure. The new areas interface with the original structure in an irregular and novel manner. These locations required an unusually high level of creativity and coordination to achieve the overall design goals.

The Construction Manager was involved in the design from the beginning, and a highly intense coordination process was needed due to physical space restrictions.

Awards:

• 2016 AIA Columbus Honor Award
• 2016 James B Recchie Design Award
• 2015 Wall Street Journal: The Best Architecture