Bass Museum Unveils 22,000-Square-Foot Expansion Plans

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach has released expansion plans developed by Los Angeles-based architectural firm Johnston Marklee, which was selected in April to lead the project.

The designs propose a 22,000-square-foot area at the museum's southwest campus corner, incorporating three elements: new pavilions, a patio, and a stage. These rectangular pavilions will feature advanced galleries for the museum's permanent collection, enhanced by natural light from windows and skylights. Additional details include facade perforations on the upper pavilion edges and walls, which maintain a sense of openness between courtyard spaces and adjacent streets. At night, a backlit oculus will illuminate the passage beneath the center of the structure. The multipurpose outdoor patio, which connects to Collins Park 's greenery, will include a wall for screening films.

Sharon Johnston, founding partner of Johnston Marklee and lead architect, stated:“Through careful analysis of light and shadow, space and volume, and the surrounding park and urban context, we are planning a transformative project that will increase public access to the museum's programs and artworks.” The new additions build upon Russell Pancoast 's 1942 Art Deco building and Pritzker Prize–winning architect Arata Isozaki 's 1995 original campus, while adhering to“resiliency guidelines” to address flooding risks from rising sea levels. Renderings show the two pavilion structures elevated on a thin concrete plane, allowing pedestrian movement underneath and preventing floodwaters from entering exhibition areas.

Silvia Karman Cubiñá, executive director of the Bass, explained:“Having just celebrated our 60th year, we are firmly focused on the future, and this expansion is a vital part of that vision, allowing us to deepen our engagement with artists and our community by creating new, flexible spaces to gather, reflect, and experience art in meaningful ways.”

Source: Artforum

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