New Britain Museum of American Art

Founded in 1903 on a site overlooking a Frederick Law Olmsted park, NBMAA supports an expansive collection of American art and public programming. To accommodate the Museum’s growing collection, program, and administrative needs, we worked with trustees and staff to develop a concept plan that included the repurposing of a historic house on the site, demolition of a later building, and construction of a new building.

The new building was completed in two phases. Connected to the historic house, it is designed as a series of smaller structures, scaled for the Museum’s residential setting. These structures share a reductive materials vocabulary of Kasota limestone, metal, glass, and wood.  Interior spaces for exhibition, visitor services, education, and community programs overlook the adjacent historic park and open onto outdoor gardens and terraces designed for gathering and events.