The Architecture of the Maguire Art Museum - Tour with the American Institute of Architects
How was the former Barnes Foundation modified to meet the requirements of contemporary audiences and to fulfill the pedagogical mission of an academic art museum?
This spring, DIGSAU Principal Jamie Unkefer led members of the American Institute of Architects on a tour of the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum, housed in the Barnes Foundation’s former building in Lower Merion. Unkefer highlighted the renovations made to Paul Cret’s famous structure to modernize it and to increase accessibility and flow, as well as the subtle but impactful adjustments to transform the gallery into a modern, flexible space. Other changes included a ramp at the entrance and an intriguing joining of a barrel-vaulted and a groin-vaulted ceiling. Last year, DIGSAU was awarded the AIA Pennsylvania 2024 Silver Medal in Preservation Architecture.
Watch the tour here
