The US$50m (€43.6m, £38.2m) renovation and expansion at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, US, has completed.
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA), the museum has reopened its doors again with an aim to focus visitors’ experiences on the art rather than the architecture.
The expansion sees the addition of six new galleries to the Hood Museum, bringing the total from 10 to 16 galleries spread out over two floors.
TWBTA has also tripled the total number of teaching spaces at the museum by creating three classrooms within the new Bernstein Centre for Object Study. Here visitors and students can engage with single works of art pulled from the museum’s collection.
Extra office space for museum staff has been included on the top floor and the entrance is now connected to the adjacent Hopkins Center for Arts.
Before the work was undertaken, staff had noticed some structural problems as well as complaining about the building’s lack of light, considerations that were taken on-board by TWBTA when designing the new-look version.
We do care about the outside of the building," said Billie Tsien, TWBTA partner.
"But we really do think about the experience first and foremost. We’re always trying to focus on finding a balance between rest and quiet as well as excitement and movement."
