Racine Art Museum
Racine, Wis.
Brininstool + Lynch

This museum's design cleverly permits and omits light as needed

© Chris Barrett / Hedrich Blessing

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The project is a complete renovation of a composite of several buildings and structures, some of which date back to the Civil War era. A main objective was the control and manipulation of light. The facade is wrapped with translucent acrylic panels that are separated from the exterior surface, allowing natural light to subtly illuminate the facade during the day. Lighting at the top of the facade causes the building to glow in the evening. The iridescence of the acrylic panels by day and their lantern-like glow by night parallel the qualities of light and movement in the museum. Transparency, translucency, and opacity are used not arbitrarily, but toward the creation of an optimal environment for viewing art.

The screens that fit within the steel frame at the front entry accentuate the transparency of the ground floor, where views to the interior and displays can be seen from the surrounding streets. Once in the museum, visitors enter a two-story atrium that terminates at a glass curtain wall separating a large outdoor courtyard from the first floor gallery spaces. This atrium allows an influx of natural light with a view to Lake Michigan. A grand stairway leads visitors to the second floor and to the largest of the exhibition galleries, which are two stories in height.

The interior architecture is enhanced by millwork volumes that incorporate art and video displays, shelving, workstations in the library and offices, and exhibition furniture. Made of metal and reconstituted veneers, the housings provide visual warmth in an environmentally appropriate way.

Location:
Racine, Wis.

Gross square footage:
46,326 sq.ft.

Total construction cost:
$6.2 million

Owner:
Racine Art Museum Association

Architect:
Brininstool + Lynch, Ltd.
230 West Superior Street
3rd Floor
Chicago, IL
T 312.640.0505
F 312.640.0217
www.brininstool-lynch.com