Friday, September 04, 2009

Phase II Construction

Hello, everyone! There has been some exciting progress with the Phase II construction of the museum. Here is the update from Construction Supervisor Ronnie Green:



From left: Patricia Wright, Annelies Mondi and Jenny Williams. In this shot from the second floor of the new extension, the viewer can see Joe Frank Harris Dinning Commons as well as other buildings on East Campus.



The bulldozer is clearing an area behind the current museum building to make room for an extension. This new area will provide second- and third-floor space for additional storage space and classrooms, respectively. The parking deck in the background is being constructed as well. It is not part of the museum’s project, but it will provide more parking for museum patrons.

Parking area

The ground level of the new wing will provide parking for visitors. This view from beneath the construction also shows one of the skylights, or light wells, that will provide natural light to the dark parking lot.

Skylight on 2nd Floor

The skylights will channel natural light to the parking lot, but a small amount will be diffused into the galleries on the second floor. This is one of the floor openings on the second floor of the new wing.

Terraced Sculpture Garden and Existing Wall

Taken from the current second-floor gallery, this shows the site for the sculpture garden. The new wing is out of view to the left, and the existing museum wall can be seen to the right. A retaining wall will be erected on the opposite end, fully enclosing the sculpture garden.


View from New Extension


This photograph was taken from the second floor of the new wing. More of the sculpture garden is visible as well as a small mock section of the retaining wall (the square slab of concrete next to the recycling bins). This mock section is not set where the actual wall will be. Those familiar with the museum will notice that the staircase leading to the second-floor galleries has been removed. There will be a new staircase built as well as a new exterior wall made of glass. The current exterior wall will remain, but on the inside. Patrons will be able to ascend to the galleries while looking out over the sculpture garden. The recycling bins are an important part of this construction site as well. Most of the materials removed in the demolition/renovation have been recycled. The Georgia Museum of Art is committed to making this new building LEED certified. For more information on LEED certification, visit: http://bit.ly/AFiWb

Lobby

The lobby is also undergoing renovation. The staircase has been removed, and a wall stands in its place. The new glass doors lead out to the sculpture garden, and the expanded lobby will extend farther to the left. The reception desk has been removed so that new woodwork can be added.

Lobby

This is another image from the lobby. The framework around the auditorium doors has been removed. The ceiling in the lobby has also been taken down.

Library Extension

This image was taken in the library, which is also undergoing expansion.

Study Centers

This space, formerly the print storage area, will hold the new study centers in the humanities.

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