Mennello Museum of American Art

This project was selected is a winner in the 67th Annual Progressive Architecture Awards, and was featured in the March 2020 issue of ARCHITECT.

Citation

“I applaud the intentionality in adapting an existing place and taking a stand on its sustainable ambitions, and I would have liked to see an even more holistic, net-positive approach.” —juror Christiana Moss, FAIA

Brooks + Scarpa wrap three sides of the 12,000-square-foot Mennello Museum of American Art building in Orlando, Fla., with an appealing kit of simple volumes and extended overhangs that thoroughly integrate inside and out—and transform the former house into a cultural complex with forms reminiscent of classic Florida Modernism. The 48,700-square-foot addition provides galleries, lobby, administration, conference, education, and back-of-house facilities.

The $22 million project develops a series of new spaces on each side of the existing building that integrate the landscape of the surrounding Loch Haven Park and the adjacent Lake Formosa as essential elements of the complex. A new pavilion at the east end holds multipurpose facilities that can be rented out for additional revenue; between the two structures, which are linked by an interior bridge and common roof, is a bilevel outdoor plaza leading down to the lake and on axis with the “Mayor tree,” a 200-year-old live oak draped in Spanish moss. Sunlight filtering through its limbs inspired the exterior expression of the new structures, which feature randomized vertical striations in the precast concrete surface to produce a similarly dappled effect on the building’s face.

Tilt-up concrete and cross-laminated timber contribute to a sustainable envelope that can be responsive to central Florida’s extreme—and fragile—climate. New central gallery spaces are topped by north-facing saw-toothed clerestories that provide natural light while creating discrete rooftop locations for solar arrays; a micro-turbine and on-site lithium battery storage system will allow the museum to use grid-supplied power solely on a supplemental basis.

The design balances the quiet spaces necessary for the thoughtful contemplation of art, the bold forms essential to revitalizing a civic institution, and the sustainable measures required for successful contemporary development.

Project Credits
Project: Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, Fla.
Client: Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art; the City of Orlando
Design Architects/Landscape: Brooks + Scarpa, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. . Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA, Arty Vartanyan, Assoc. AIA (lead designers); George Faber (project architect); Angela Brooks, FAIA, Jeffrey Huber, AIA, Dio Ichillumpa, Yimin Wu, Fui Srivikorn, Todd Funkhouser, Iliya Muzychuk, Micaela Danko, Eleftheria Stavridi, Jennifer Doublet, Assoc. AIA, Heather Akers, AIA (project design team)
Architect of Record: KMF Architects, Orlando, Fla. . Eric Kleinsteuber, AIA (principal-in-charge); Joe Morgan, AIA, Carl Shea, AIA, Rodney Bryant, Samantha Scimè, Assoc. AIA, Stephanie Doherty, Bill Emery (project team)
Structural Engineering: John Labib + Associates
Electrical Engineering/Lighting: Stantec
Mechanical Engineering: Gausman & Moore
Lighting Design: Luminescense
Wayfinding: Brooks + Scarpa with KMF
Size: 48,700 square feet (new construction), 12,000 square feet (renovation)
Cost: $22 million