Joslyn Art Museum Reveals Snøhetta’s Bold Expansion Ahead of September Launch

The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, revealed Snøhetta’s bold expansion ahead of its September launch, and the museum reopened to the public on 10 September 2024 after a two-year building programme. The project, designed by Snøhetta with local practice Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, adds the Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion and links it to the museum’s two earlier buildings through a new glass atrium. This review covers the design, materials and planning of the expansion, and what it shows about extending an existing cultural building in a way that respects what is already there.

Why the Museum Needed to Expand

The Joslyn’s collection has grown steadily, and the museum needed more space to show it. The collection spans nearly 5,000 years of art and includes a significant recent gift of contemporary work, as well as selections connected with an endowment from the Omaha-born artist Ed Ruscha. The existing galleries could not display these holdings properly or host larger temporary exhibitions.

The expansion was also seen as part of a wider push by public and private bodies to revitalise central Omaha. A stronger museum gives visitors a reason to come to the city centre and supports nearby businesses.

Three buildings, one museum

Before the expansion, the museum consisted of the original 1931 Memorial building, faced in pink Georgia marble with Art Deco details, and a 1994 addition designed by Foster + Partners. The challenge was to add a third building that worked with both, rather than competing with them.

Design Concept of the Hawks Pavilion

Snøhetta designed the pavilion as a central volume lifted on two granite walls. Raising the mass in this way creates what the architects describe as a weightless effect. The long, low, horizontal form refers to the vast landscape of the Great Plains and to the horizontal lines of Prairie School architecture, which is closely associated with the American Midwest.

Craig Dykers of Snøhetta has said the aim was to create a calm atmosphere that brings visitors, art and events together and encourages creativity. Joslyn’s director at the time, Jack Becker, described the firm’s approach as sensitive and imaginative.

Materials: A Pink Façade That Speaks to the Past

The pavilion’s exterior is clad in precast concrete panels that include a pink aggregate. The colour was chosen to relate to the pink marble of the earlier buildings, so the new pavilion reads as part of the same family even though its form is contemporary.

Planning and Visitor Flow

A new entrance on Davenport Street gives the museum a clearer front door. From there, the glass atrium connects the Hawks Pavilion with the 1931 and 1994 buildings, so visitors move between all three without going outside.

Inside the atrium, a curved staircase leads visitors up into the reinstalled collection. Outdoor rooms and a raised sculpture garden extend the museum into the landscape, so the grounds become part of the visitor experience rather than leftover space.

Renovating the original building

The project brief also included renovating the cafe and office spaces within the Art Deco Memorial building. Expansion projects often focus on the new wing, but improving existing spaces is just as important for staff and visitors.

Extension Strategies for Cultural Buildings

Gallery Design Requirements

Galleries are among the most technically demanding rooms to design. Art needs stable conditions, and visitors need comfort and good light.

• Stable climate. Temperature and humidity must be held within tight ranges to protect paintings, works on paper and sculpture. Museums commonly follow guidance from bodies such as ASHRAE for museum environments.
• Controlled daylight. Natural light is welcome in circulation spaces but must be filtered or excluded in galleries to prevent fading.
• Flexible walls and lighting. Temporary exhibitions change often, so walls, track lighting and power need to be adaptable.
• Security and fire protection. Detection and suppression systems must protect visitors and works without causing water damage, often using special sprinkler or gas systems.
• Loading and handling. Large doors, a loading dock and goods lifts are needed to move artworks safely.

Sustainability in Museum Expansion

Museums are expensive to run because galleries need constant temperature and humidity control, day and night, all year. That makes the energy performance of an expansion as important as its appearance.

Envelope first

A well-insulated, airtight building envelope reduces the work the mechanical plant has to do. Solid gallery walls, like the raised volume of the Hawks Pavilion, help because they limit uncontrolled solar gain, while glazing is concentrated in circulation and social areas such as the atrium, where daylight is most welcome.

Durable materials

Precast concrete and granite are long-lasting materials with low maintenance needs. Choosing finishes that last decades without replacement reduces both cost and environmental impact over the life of the building.

Landscape as climate tool

Outdoor rooms, planting and the raised sculpture garden do more than add amenity. Trees and soft landscape shade paved areas, reduce surface temperatures and help manage rainwater, which matters on any large site.

Reusing what exists

Rather than replacing older parts of the museum, the project kept and renovated them. Keeping existing buildings in use is one of the most effective ways to limit the carbon footprint of a cultural institution as it grows.

Construction Considerations

Building next to occupied historic structures requires care. The new foundations must not disturb the existing buildings, vibration from works must be controlled, and junctions between old and new fabric must be detailed to allow for movement while staying watertight. Precast cladding has to be tested for colour consistency across batches so that the façade looks uniform once installed. The new identity for the reopened museum was developed separately by the design studio Pentagram, showing how a building project can be tied to a wider relaunch.

Lessons for Pakistan

Pakistan’s museums, universities and public institutions, from Lahore Museum to provincial archives and college campuses, often need more space in historic settings. The Joslyn expansion offers useful lessons.

ACCO’s construction services include design, structure, MEP and renovation of public and commercial buildings, and our structural design services cover extensions next to existing buildings. For commercial owners, the commercial plaza construction in Gulberg guide explains the planning steps for a new building in Lahore.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Snøhetta’s expansion of the Joslyn Art Museum shows how to grow a cultural institution without losing its character. A lifted, horizontal pavilion, a pink precast façade that echoes the original marble, and a glass atrium that ties three buildings together give the museum more space, a clearer entrance and a stronger presence in Omaha.