Cincinnati Art Museum Announces Shortlist

By John Gendall

The Cincinnati Art Museum announced today the four architecture firms short-listed to redesign and reconfigure its existing campus. On the list are: Diller Scofidio + Renfro; Neutelings Riedijk; Smith-Miller & Hawkinson; and UNStudio.

Over its 126-year history, the museum has grown into an assemblage of seven, variously interconnected individual structures. It lacks planned spatial logic as well as a consistent style. The latest addition, completed in 2003, was by KZF. The museum’s next architect—to be selected from the four finalists later this summer—will work with it to develop a new design that will integrate the individual structures into a cohesive whole. The museum anticipates the project to add 50,000 square feet of new construction.

Aaron Betsky, who became director of the museum in November 2006 and is overseeing the architect selection, said in a press release: “We selected this short list of architects because each firm has demonstrated the unusual ability both to create iconic new designs and to respond with exceptional sensitivity and ingenuity to historic buildings, their surroundings, and complex existing building layouts.”

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