University Art Museum


The Museum creates outdoor rooms that provide continuity between the building and the landscape, as exemplified by the semi-enclosed courtyard of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The two-story Museum facades provide closure for the developed area of the campus and are penetrated by entrances to a circular arcaded court framing views to the mountains beyond, which is open to and completed by the landscape.

The proposed design is an assemblage of separately articulated elements that together comprise an incomplete form, opening the Museum to embrace the landscape. The strategy of creating the Museum from a collection of smaller building elements facilitates expansion; other elements may be added in a variety of ways without compromising the totality of the building. The design proposes a condition that is not fixed, but may grow and change according to unpredictable needs.

Each building element is related to a specific programmatic function and also serves to define a particular outdoor space. Three distinct types of garden courtyard have been developed for hosting museum events and displaying sculpture and other outdoor media.


Award:
First Stage Competition Finalist