The design goal of the entire project was to bring the museum up-to-date. “The project was a comprehensive set of renovations, reconstructions and additions,†explained principal designer Tom Rowe of Michael Graves and Associates in Princeton, NJ. “We wanted to update its mechanical equipment and repair some outstanding defects to increase the circulation, as well as increase the available gallery space on the floors. We weren't only focusing on the gallery space, but also upgrading the museum's services to meet with other modern museums. There are new dining areas and new function areas. We wanted a better way for those areas to work with existing facilities, such as the existing theater.â€
Part of the first phase was refurbishing the food service area, which began in September 2002. The 7,000-square-foot area was completed with three types of marble supplied by Vermont Quarries Corp. of Rutland, VT -- including two varieties on the floor and a third for the walls -- and slate supplied by Burlington Natstone Inc. of Plano, TX.