Half Dose #37: Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Yesterday saw the opening of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas. Designed by Kyu Sung Woo Architects, the museum is a part of the Johnson County Community College and is built as an addition to the school's Regnier Center, giving the museum a prominent location on the campus's northeast corner.



The view above shows the building apparently reaching out beyond the campus, to the community beyond, as a sort of symbolic connection between the two.



According to the architect's web page, the museum "provides amenities for the entire campus. A café is provided in the atrium and a large multi purpose Lecture Hall serves the museum, campus educational needs, and has additional conferencing capabilities. Galleries are provided for both the permanent collections and for temporary and changing exhibitions."



The simple stone and glass exterior illustrates these functions, the more public facilities, such as the café, occupying the transparent ground floor, and the "serene" galleries located overhead in the primarily solid second floor. A pixelated ceiling over the entry makes for a dramatic entry space at night.



The exterior -- particularly the single window on the upper floor framing the distant landscape -- gives a hint at the design choices made within. Views across the galleries and atrium space are framed via openings that also connect with the surroundings, a suitable, though subtle gesture in the Midwestern landscape.



Links:

:: Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
:: Johnson County Community College
:: Kyu Sung Woo Architects
:: Detail Magazine coverage