Virginia Museum
of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts provides a space for all Virginians to enjoy the arts.
Since opening in 1936, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has developed an art collection of global scope and international significance. Designed in collaboration with Rick Mather of London, England, the expansion added 100,000 square feet of new space to the existing 240,000-square-foot museum, and increased previous gallery space by 50 percent.
Project Profile Coming Soon
Virginia Art Museum
Market: Cultural
Location: Richmond
Size: 160,101 SF
Year Completed: 2010
APPROACH
A new atrium connects the new building with two existing wings and opens onto a new library, museum shop, café, and galleries. The atrium culminates in a 40-foot-high glass wall overlooking Richmond’s historic Boulevard to signal the purpose of the Museum to the City. A new sculpture garden, designed by Olin Partnership, stitches together the entire museum campus and rises as a sloped lawn to a roof garden over submerged visitor parking.
MEASURING OUTCOMES
In the years following the renovation of the sculpture garden, parking lot, and McGlothlin Wing, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has become one of a kind space where the Richmond community can come together and appreciate art. The sculpture garden has become a popular spot for music, walks, yoga, and enjoying a drink on summer evenings. The museum is one of Richmond’s defining cultural achievements and activities.
