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ABOVE: The three-story atrium is the centerpiece
of the new Nessel wing — named after longtime
benefactor Melvin Nessel and his wife, Gail. Photography
by C.J. Walker, West Palm Beach, FL.
ABOVE: The Dale Chihuly glass ceiling comprises
693 pieces of art glass. Photography by C.J. Walker,
West Palm Beach, FL.r.
ABOVE: The first floor functions as flexible gallery
space for contemporary art and photography. Photography
by C.J. Walker, West Palm Beach, FL.
ABOVE: “European Art before 1870” features
art from the 17th to 19th centuries. Photography
by C.J. Walker, West Palm Beach, FL.
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When architect
Chad Floyd, of Centerbrook Architects in Connecticut,
began designing the new addition to the Norton Museum
of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla., he was given only
one directive.
“The new wing had to be an ‘event’
— something that would make visitors feel as
if they’ve arrived at a place of power and presence,”
Floyd says.
Completed in March 2003, the new wing achieves that
and much more. With its three-story atrium, floating
spiral stairway and Dale Chihuly glass ceiling, it
is truly a “structural extravaganza,” Floyd
says.
Having completed the Norton’s first renovation
in 1997, Floyd and his team “understood the genetic
code of the building,” he says. “This thorough
understanding allowed us to seamlessly develop the
addition.”
The Nessel Wing — named after trustee and longtime
benefactor Melvin Nessel and his wife, Gail —
expands the entire museum to 122,500 square feet,
making it the largest art museum in Florida. Fourteen
new galleries, a pavilion, an enclosed courtyard with
a full-service café and educational spaces
comprise the new wing. In addition, Floyd and his
team redesigned the museum’s original gift shop
and museum store.
“The new wing is welcoming, user-friendly and
shows the art in the best light,” Museum Director
Dr. Christina Orr-Cahall says. “And the visitor
amenities make this museum all the more meaningful
to the community, visitors and tourists alike.”
To accommodate the three major permanent collections
that the new atrium would house, Orr-Cahall decided
to dedicate an entire collection to each floor. Hence,
the first floor features a rotating exhibition of
contemporary art and photography. The second floor,
also known as “The Elizabeth B. McGraw Floor,”
highlights the museum’s collection of Chinese
art, and the third floor displays “European Art
before 1870,” a showcase of signature works from
this period.
Floyd conceptually tied the collections into the atrium’s
design by incorporating key characteristics from each
style of art. The atrium’s oval shape, for example,
reflects the fluid form often seen in Baroque paintings
and architecture. “The oval is an expression
of design that could allude to the Old Masters paintings,”
he says.
In a nod to contemporary works, Floyd “detailed
the oval in a modern manner — an expression that
conveys the speed of contemporary life,” he says.
Incorporating elements from Chinese art proved to
be a bit more challenging. “We tried to think
of a lot of ways to include Chinese motifs, but so
many were geometric and pictorial that they wouldn’t
work. We decided on a two-dimensional design —
a loose interpretation of the Chinese tradition of
cracked ice, which is reflected in the floor medallion
and skylight,” he says.
No less of an architectural feat is the floating,
sculptural concrete stairway, which spirals its way
past each floor without any visible means of support.
“The stairway is an oval-shaped spiral and goes
inward and tighter as it goes up,” Floyd says.
“Each spin of the spiral is connected to a stair
below, so it’s organic and free-flowing.”
Located just off the atrium is the J. Ira and Nicki
Harris Family Pavilion, where a specially commissioned
glass ceiling by Dale Chihuly takes center stage.
Composed of 693 pieces of hand-blown glass in aquatic
blues, greens and golds, the ceiling conveys a feeling
of being underwater, or in a “baroque grotto,”
as Orr-Cahall calls it. At night, the ceiling is lit
from above, as if the sun is beaming through the water.
“There are a lot of paintings of mythological
grottos in Baroque art,” Floyd says. “This
was also a way to connect the building and the subtropical
environment of Florida.”
In addition to its renowned permanent collections,
the Norton Museum of Art also offers traveling exhibitions
throughout the year, which are on view in the main
building.
“We have a remarkable offering of special exhibitions
during the next three years,” says Dr. Roger
Ward, chairman of the curatorial department and curator
of European art. “They span the entire range
of
our permanent collection and curatorial interests
— from Chinese painting and the treasures of
Spain’s Golden Age, to the sculptures of Deborah
Butterfield and the photography of Candida Hofer.”
The Norton’s expanded size and offerings have
elevated its stature and visibility. “Many compare
us to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts in terms of quality,” Orr-Cahall
says. “More than being the largest art museum
in Florida, we’re interested in being the best
museum with the highest quality of exhibits and educational
programs.”
For more information on the Norton Museum of Art and
its upcoming exhibits, please call 561/832-5196, or
visit its website at www.norton.org. |
