The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Kansas City, Missouri

Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl's expansion of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art infuses Modernism into the grassy landscape of the site, contrasting the 1933 Classical structure with five glass-lens boxes that gather, diffuse, and refract light into new gallery spaces. These glass boxes, illuminated at night, appear as ice blocks along the eastern edge of the museum and incorporate the existing Sculpture Park. The museum extension features multiple entry points, an attempt to open the world of art inside to the larger community.

Link to AIA Honor Awards