UM Lowe Art Museum Palley Pavilion

Coral Gables, FL, United States

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UM Lowe Art Museum Palley Pavilion

Coral Gables, FL, United States

Firm

YEAR

2009

THE MYRNA AND SHELDON PALLEY PAVILION IS THE FIRST MAJOR ADDITION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S LOWE ART MUSEUM IN OVER 12 YEARS. THE ARCHITECTS WERE CHALLENGED TO CREATE AN UNIQUE SETTING FOR THIS SPECIALTY ART FORM, RESULTING IN THE FIRST BUILDING OF ITS TYPE FOR THE EXHIBITION OF GLASS ART IN THE SOUTH OF THE UNITED STATES. HIDDEN BEHIND SEVERAL LAYERS OF UNMEMORABLE ADDITIONS OVER THE YEARS, THE ORIGINAL LOWE ART MUSEUM BUILDING WAS FOUND, A STRUCTURE DESIGNED IN AN ERA OF FUNCTIONALITY AND OF SIMPLE MODERNITY, STRAIGHT FORWARD IN ITS COMPOSITION. THE DESIGN OF THE PALLEY PAVILION TAKES ITS HISTORICAL REFERENCE CUES FROM THE ORIGINAL. THE PROMINENT SITE SELECTED ALLOWS THE PAVILION STRUCTURE TO RE-ALIGN ITSELF BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BUILDING AND CAMPUS GRID, A MOVE DISCOUNTED IN ADDITIONS OF THE PAST. ENTRANCE TO THE PAVILION FROM THE EXISTING LOWE IS THROUGH AN EXHIBITION HALLWAY THAT ACTS AS THE “CORRECTOR” OF THE GRID AND A CHANGE OF SCALE TRANSITION “FUNNEL” BETWEEN THE HIGH VOLUME OF THE LOWE AND THE PAVILION SPACES. THE PAVILION IS A SIMPLE RECTANGULAR COMPOSITION BATHED IN NATURAL LIGHT (GLASS ART ALLOWS FOR IT), AND DETAILED IN A PALLETTE OF RESTRAINT HIGHLIGHTING THE GLASS ART IT DISPLAYS. BUILT-IN “NICHES” WRAPPED IN ALUMINUM PANELS FLOAT ALONG THE GLASS EXTERIOR WALL PERMITTING SMALLER OR WALL HANGING ART PIECES TO BE DISPLAYED. THE GALLERY SPACE IS ORGANIZED THROUGH THE USE OF MODULATORS AS DISPLAY CASES DESIGNED FOR VIEWING FROM ALL SIDES. THESE MODULATORS ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THE PAVILION IS ARRANGED, FROM A PERMANENT GALLERY AND THREE CHANGING GALLERIES TO A LARGE FUNCTION SPACE FOR SPECIAL PROGRAMS. THE MYRNA AND SHELDON PALLEY PAVILION STANDS AS A NEW BEACON AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LOWE ART MUSEUM, TESTIMONY OF A STILL VITAL AND VIABLE MODERN TRADITION.