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Corning, New York
Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects
Photo © Scott Frances/Esto
Corning gives the gift of transparency
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"Like glass, the
building reveals itself over time, retaining a
sense of discovery. I feel this will be a new
and surprising building for a long time to come."
—Rob Cassetti, Marketing
Director
"Weaving together
the historical iconography of the existing buildings
with the new design is so successful that it's
transparency itself."
—Gary Haney, AIA
Architect
Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects
Client
Corning, Inc.
Key Players
Click above to find a complete listing of the
people and products
involved in the completion of this project and
an additional photograph.
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Much like the first glass center at the
1939 World's Fair, the original Corning glass museum, built
by the architect Wallace Harrison in 1951, showcased the science
and art of glass and served as a beacon for culture in the
town of Corning, New York, and the region altogether.
It was fitting that part of the scope
of this five-year, multidimensional renovation and addition
executed by Smith-Miller + Hawkinson was a performing arts
space for the entire community. In addition, the firm renovated
the Corning Glass Center, including the Stueben glass-blowing
factory; refurbished the original glass museum; and added
a new entrance pavilion called the Orientation Center, with
its 80-person theater displaying the art and history of glass.
This subtle recombination of disparate elements ties together
the historical iconography of the original buildings with
new insertions to create a full-service cultural and educational
facility. Visitorship, which had been turning downward for
a number of years, has been going back up at the significant
rate of 8 percent annually.
Showcasing glass was tricky because the
material is so much a part of the infrastructure. The architect
orchestrated a dynamic sequence of glass exhibits for the
visitor to pass through and engage in that is full of surprises.
In the words of juror Chee Pearlman, "that's the thing
that's so magical about this place—there's no small metaphor
for the use of the shimmering, glowing, alive material of
glass to make this a welcoming place."
For more on this project please see the
October 2001 issue of Architectural Record.
The Winners: Chesapeake
Bay | Corning
Museum | Dulwich
Galllery | Kuhonji
Temple Gate | LVMH
Tower | Pedestrian
Bridge | Phillips
Plastics | Saitama
Arena | SAP Headquarters
| Chiller Plant
| Wieden + Kennedy
Headquarters
The Finalists:
Allegheny
Jail | Hansen
Construction | Helmut
Lang Perfumerie | Herman
Miller Showroom | Lincoln
St. Garage | TBWA/Chiat/Day
| U.S. Courthouse
| Westpac Stadium
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