Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, Mass.
Moshe Safdie and Associates

A major renovation unites several structures to make a coherent whole

© Timothy Hursley

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The Peabody Essex Museum is the oldest continuously operating museum in the U.S. and has been constructed in several phases over the past 150 years. This major expansion and reorganization created an architecturally dramatic addition emblematic of the museum's new identity as a destination for art and culture, unifying a group of disparate buildings, joining them with double the amount of gallery space, and creating a new welcoming presence to visitors.

To that end, a curved, glazed arcade aligned over the existing Liberty Street forms the spine of the new wing and, together with a courtyard, weaves together the old and new buildings. A series of two-level, house-like galleries, scaled to echo Salem's historic residential fabric, is strung along the east side of this glazed arcade. These structures are spaced apart to allow natural light into both lower and upper levels. The distinct silhouette of each roofline indicates a unique interior space within.

See more about the lighting of this project in our lighting section.

Location:
Salem, Mass.

Gross square footage:
110,000 sq.ft.

Total construction cost:
$65 million

Owner:
Peabody Essex Museum

Architect:
Moshe Safdie and Associates
100 Properzi Way
Somerville, MA 02143
Tel: 617-629-2100
Fax: 617-629-2406
www.msafdie.com