Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Museum Renovation

On May 15, 2004, the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees unanimously approved an $18 million renovation of the Walker Art Building, formally initiating work that will preserve and protect the 100 year old landmark building while substantially improving access, updating systems, repairing structural defects, and allowing the Museum to expand its exhibition space and enhance its programs.

Dedicated in 1894, the Walker Art Building was designed by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead, and White, designers of the Boston Public Library, the Morgan Library in New York, and the Brooklyn Museum (which has recently undergone a major renovation of its own), among many other cultural buildings. The museum building was a gift to the College by Harriet Sarah and Mary Sophia Walker in honor of their uncle, Theophilus Wheeler Walker, a successful Massachusetts merchant and entrepeneur, and first cousin of Bowdoin's fourth president, Leonard Woods. The Walker sisters stipulated that the building be used exclusively for art, and its galleries were put to immediate use housing and exhibiting Bowdoin's already substantial art collection, which had grown from the original gift of paintings and drawings by College benefactor James Bowdoin III in 1811.

The architect for the project, Machado & Silvetti Associates of Boston, was chosen by the College in November 2003, after several years of study and after interviewing seven nationally known architectural firms. Machado & Silvetti have earned numerous awards for their work including a recent major award "for the most beautiful piece of architecture, building, monument or structure" built in greater Boston in the past decade. The award, from the Boston Society of Architects, recognized the firm's work on the Honan-Allston branch of the Boston Public Library. The firm is currently renovating the original Getty Villa in Malibu, California, to become the Getty's new museum of classical antiquities.

The Walker Art Building renovation and preservation project will include the installation of a new climate control system vital for the protection and preservation of the Bowdoin collections and touring exhibitions; the construction of additional gallery, exhibition, and art storage space; and full handicapped accessibility to and throughout the building. It will also upgrade the facility, including the terraces, a new loading and receiving area, additional office space, and a dedicated teaching gallery and classroom. The book and gift shop, coatrooms, and other visitor amenities will be relocated, allowing the building's spectacular rotunda to return to its original appearance and purpose as a sculpture gallery. On the rear of the building, a modest addition will provide new gallery space and a view into the interior of the building from the street, while respecting the geometry of the original structure.

The Museum closed in June 2005 in preparation for the renovation after the collections were moved out of the building. Some objects are in storage and others are lent to other museums around the country. Material required by Bowdoin faculty for their courses is being maintained on campus. Construction began in summer 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2007.

 

 

Posted: December 14, 2005 11:29 PM