Architect Miguel Quismondo repurposed an existing 11,000 square foot warehouse built in 1964 with the addition of a 14,000 square foot building.
The simple components and building solutions employed by Quismondo adhered to the same philosophies that inspired Arte Povera’s artists: a reliance on materials considered poor, low-quality, or readily available, and attention to conceptual approaches within presentation.
The project pays tribute to Magazzino’s name, meaning “warehouse" in Italian, by reiterating its integrity as an industrial warehouse. Large windows throughout create a direct interaction between the indoor and outdoor space, including both the natural landscape of Magazzino’s surroundings and the clean lines of the building’s granite courtyard.
The existing L-shaped building was stripped to its basic components, while the addition was built with structural cast-in-place concrete and metal girders, creating a modulated repetition. It is through the management of natural light that a dialogue between the new and existing building was created. The existing building relies on specific, consolidated light from skylights along the main pathway, while the new galleries of the expansion open with high fiberglass paneled roof, raised in a simple structure involving metal gable trusses, resulting in a subtle, uniform filtering of light. The versatility of both the height and lighting together furthers the distinction between the renovated building and the new expansion, merged elegantly through two glass connectors—that of the lobby and of the reflecting pool walkway—allowing for simple circulation.
The Robert Olnick Pavillion
Designed by Alberto Campo Baeza and Miguel Quismondo, the Robert Olnick Pavilion is an additional building on Magazzino’s campus which opened to the public on September 14, 2023.
This pavilion adds 13,000 square feet including exhibition space, a multi-purpose community room, an education classroom, Café Silvia, and The Store.
Campo Baeza conceived Gallery 2 as an isotropic room, a perfect cube, where windows were strategically placed at each corner to create a sun-dial effect.
