The National Gallery of Art Unveils East Building Renovation

Tomorrow the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., reveals the results of a three-year renovation of the museum’s 1978 East Building, originally designed by architect I.M. Pei, FAIA, as an expansion to the 1941 West Building by John Russell Pope. An associate of Pei, New York-based architect Perry Chin, developed the concept for this new renovation, which was executed by local firm and architect-of-record Hartman-Cox Architects. The renovated building opens up gallery spaces in two of the building’s three towers, connects those spaces with a rooftop terrace featuring Katharina Fritsch’s 14.5-foot-tall bright blue sculpture, “Hahn/Cock,” and also includes a remade store and Terrace Café. All-in-all, the renovation expands the gallery space of the building (which won an AIA Twenty-Five Year Award in 2004) by 12,250 square feet.