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12, 2005 - St. Louis, Missouri - The Board of Commissioners of the
Saint Louis Art Museum today announced the appointment of noted
British architect David Chipperfield to design an expansion of its
historic facility in Forest Park. Following a ten?month international
search, Chipperfield was appointed by the Museum's Board of Commissioners
on the recommendation of its Architectural Selection Advisory Committee.
London-based David Chipperfield and Associates has won some of
Europe's most prestigious commissions, including the restoration
of the Neues Museum and master plan for Museum Island in Berlin;
the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany; and the redesign
of Venice's historic cemetery island, San Michele. His U.S. projects
include the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa; the Anchorage
Museum of History and Art; and the Des Moines Central Library.
"With his experience, philosophy, and international stature
David Chipperfield is an ideal choice for our expansion,"
said Saint Louis Art Museum Director Brent R. Benjamin.
The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the nation's leading comprehensive
art museums, housing more than 30,000 works of art. Its collections
include works of exceptional quality from virtually every culture
and time period. Its historic home in Forest Park was designed
for the 1904 World's Fair by architect Cass Gilbert.
The current expansion and the intensive five-year planning sequence
that underlies it were envisioned in the Art Museum's 2000 Strategic
Plan, which was developed with significant community input.
"Over the past 125 years, strategic acquisitions by the
Museum and magnificent gifts from local benefactors have created
a collection that places the Museum among the top ten comprehensive
art museums in the country," Benjamin said. "With limited
gallery space, however, major works by such artists as Matisse
and Picasso are confined to storage, and entire collections can
only be viewed on a rotating basis."
In 2003, a long term space study outlined the amount and type
of space needed to appropriately house the Museum's growing collections
and expanding programs. The expansion is expected to encompass
approximately 120,000 square feet - a 40 percent increase in space.
"It's an honor to be selected for such an important expansion
in such a magnificent setting," Chipperfield said. "We
envision an expansion that will enhance the presentation of the
Museum's extraordinary collection and create an environment for
contemplation and dialogue in symmetry with the natural beauty
of Forest Park."
Benjamin praised the work of the selection committee, which traveled
extensively to view other museum expansions and interview potential
candidates. In all, the committee gave consideration to more than
100 candidates from five continents before selecting Chipperfield
and Associates.
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