After years of extensive works, the Speed Art Museum in Kentucky is finally ready to reopen its doors and unveil its spectacular renovation and brand new extension. Endearingly referred to by locals as 'the Speed', the new museum complex, designed by internationally renowned architect Kulapat Yantrasast and his firm wHY, was executed in collaboration with the Louisville architecture firm KNBA.
When the museum decided to kick start its significant makeover, transforming its existing 1927 Neoclassical structure built by Arthur Loomis, they began an international search for the right firm. Whittling down a long list of over 100 candidates to just eight, the board members were won over by wHY’s proposal, coined by Yantrasast ‘acupuncture architecture,’ which secured the sought-after commission.
The idea behind ‘acupuncture architecture’ came up quite early in the project's development. ‘Rather than create a stand-alone expansion, we wanted to activate the original building from multiple points in order to heal the whole,’ explains Yantrasast.
The museum’s new extension – named the 'North Pavilion' – features a facade of concrete, metal and fritted glass. A wide internal staircase is also visible through the transparent exterior. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a series of free-flowing areas, such as an indoor/outdoor auditorium, an entry hall and a double-height light and airy lobby, which includes a suspended steel structure by contemporary artist Spencer Finch.
The new wing's public services are decentralised to create an unexpected path of exploration for visitors. wHY aimed for ‘openness and transparency’ when planning the interior program, emphasising a relationship to its context with numerous views out to the surrounding landscape, outdoor piazzas and the nearby University of Louisville, Belknap campus.
The new and old parts are linked through a suspended bridge. This connection supplies a view over the newly excavated atrium in the North Pavilion and gives access to the once hard to reach educational program area within the building’s basement.
When entering the North Pavillion lobby, which looks over the original museum building, visitors are greeted by a series of free-flowing areas
The spacious and bright lobby features a site-specific, suspended piece by contemporary artist Spencer Finch
The new space host a series of new and contemporary galleries and a set of decentralized public amenities, such as a museum shop, cafe and cinema
The museum's new entrance point includes a public area with a piazza and water feature, providing visitors and students of the nearby university campus with an outdoor area to socialise
INFORMATION
For more information on the Speed Art Museum, visit wHY’s website
Photography: Rafael Gamo
ADDRESS
Speed Art Museum
2035 S 3rd St
Louisville
KY 40208
United States
-
Riva El-Iseo is the legendary boat builder’s first fully-electric motor yachtThe Riva El-Iseo electric speedboat blends classic Italian lines with a silent, powerful and zero-emission powertrain
-
Technogym Home Bench 40 ways: designers interpret the home exercise classicTechnogym marks its 40 anniversary with 40 special editions of its Home Bench created in collaboration with international creatives
-
AHEC presents new works in American maple as part of the Wallpaper* Class of ’24The American Hardwood Export Council takes part in the Wallpaper* Class of ’24 exhibition at Triennale Milano during Salone del Mobile (16-21 April 2024), presenting new pieces by Parti and Giles Tettey Nartey in American hard maple
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawingsBased on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its historyAn Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovationLeica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizonDesigned by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly designBoise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
-
At the Hilbert Museum of California Art’s expanded home, art and architecture convergeThe Hilbert Museum of California Art expands its home, courtesy of Los Angeles architecture studio Johnston Marklee
-
Pearlman Cabin by John Lautner is an organic Californian mountain retreatJohn Lautner’s midcentury Pearlman Cabin, tucked away in the Californian mountain resort of Idyllwild, is a striking example of organic architecture
-
Albert Frey’s Aluminaire House is reborn in Palm SpringsAluminaire House, designed by legendary modernist Albert Frey, has been reconstructed outside the Palm Springs Art Museum
