Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Bloch Galleries

A transformational gallery houses 29 masterpieces and enhances visitors' connection to art

Information

Location Kansas City, Missouri
Size 8,350 SF of gallery space
Completion 2017
Services Arts and Culture
Project Type Museums

The new Bloch Galleries feature the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection of Impressionist and Post- Impressionist art, comprised of 29 masterpieces acquired by the Bloch family and gifted to the museum in 2010. The Bloch Galleries create a permanent home for the Bloch Collection and welcomed nearly 3,500 visitors during the galleries’ opening weekend. The expanded galleries add more than 900 linear feet of wall space and create an open viewing experience with sight lines encouraging viewers to make connections among works. The design team’s cohesive approach to the Bloch Galleries creates a harmonious connection with the existing historic building while incorporating contemporary construction methods and cutting-edge technology. The galleries feature state-of-the-art technology, including tunable dynamic white lighting that can simulate the environments for which the works were originally created and allow precise control of lighting color and intensity on each specific artwork in the galleries. The original glass ceilings were replaced with the custom laylite ceiling panels developed by BNIM to replicate the historic design, integrate life safety systems, and enhance the ambient gallery lighting.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Projects

In an ongoing relationship that was developed in 2001, BNIM has worked with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on 60+ projects over two decades. This work has included the Bloch Building addition in collaboration with Steven Holl Architects, design and renovation of multiple galleries, museum signage and wayfinding, an education center and reference library, sculpture hall, new parking structure and entry plaza, campus feasibility studies, and climate resilience grant research.

Impact + Innovation

As renovations began, one of BNIM’s initial design tasks was to develop a prototype for a new laylight ceiling system, which both eliminated the visual/physical clutter of post-installed items, while cleanly integrating contemporary building system components – track lighting, fire suppression, supply air, and smoke detection. Moreover, the design was to incorporate standard, off-the-shelf products, for ease of maintenance and future replacement/repairs.

The design team re-interpreted the original glass laylight ceiling system in the galleries to develop a prototype for future renovations. This prototype retained the essence of the backlit, luminescent laylight system and seamlessly integrated contemporary lighting, HVAC, and life safety systems necessary for a museum of today and the future.

Process

BNIM’s collaborative relationship with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art led to a highly cohesive project process that leveraged the similarities in approach between art and architecture. BNIM’s design team worked largely with curatorial and exhibit design staff members of the Museum to envision and inform the design of The Bloch Galleries through a collaborative and holistic approach, carefully considering each detail of the design from partition placement to color and texture of wall finishes to artwork platforms. To help visualize the Bloch Galleries, the design team created a large physical model for the project at a scale of approximately four times that of a typical architectural model. The team was able to create miniature print outs of works of art placed throughout the model, which was beneficial not only for architectural studies but for also establishing sightlines to works and exhibition layouts. The team studied everything from special volumes to wall configuration and location to ceiling design. This attention to detail and ongoing collaborative design dialogue was key to the success of the state-of-the-art renovation which integrated contemporary construction methods and cutting-edge technology to feel at peace within an existing portion of this historic Beaux-Arts style museum.