Celebrating its Grand Opening on August 18, 2013, the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education opens a new door for the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT. Founded in 1947, the museum sits on a 45-acre site and is home to 38 exhibition buildings — 25 of which are historic. The design of the new facility not only complements the aesthetics of existing architecture, but it is also rooted in Vermont heritage. The 18,000-square-foot structure is built of local materials, including Vermont slate from Sheldon Slate and granite quarried in nearby New York by Champlain Stone Ltd. — both contributing to a sustainable and LEED-certified design.
“The new Center for Art and Education is designed to be part of an ensemble of entry buildings,” explained architect Steven Gerrard of Ann Beha Architects in Boston, MA. “With the historic round barn and the admissions building/museum shop, the Center frames the gateway to the Museum experience — playing a critical role in visitor orientation. A less ‘familiar’ design — interlocking forms, deep eaves, flat roof and a glass curtain wall — grew from exchange with clients and donors, shifting expectations from traditional design to a contemporary vocabulary.”