The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia is to re-open to the public on Friday, July 13, 2012 after the third and final phase of its rejuvenation is completed.
“The Thinker”, Auguste Rodin, French, 1840 – 1917. Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris. Conceived 1880 (enlarged 1902-04); cast 1925, Made in France, Bronze, (200.7 x 130.2 x 140.3 cm) 79 x 51 1/4 x 55 1/4 inches. Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929. Photo; Courtesty: Philadelphia Museum of Art
From 2008 to 2011, the Rodin Museum underwent the first two phases of a three-stage rejuvenation project, with the ultimate goal of restoring the building and grounds in the spirit of their original 1929 design. During the first phase the garden was revitalized. Drawing upon the plans and correspondence of the original architects Paul Cret and Jacques Gréber, the new design by OLIN partners enhances and amplifies their vision while placing special focus on the relationship of the Museum’s entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In the second stage of the project the Museum’s exterior was completely renewed. This phase included repairs, cleaning, and tuck-pointing the building’s limestone facade.
With the first two phases now complete, the Rodin Museum has entered the third and final phase of its rejuvenation—the restoration of the building’s interior and the reinstallation of the collection. Conservation of the collection is under way; curators and education staff are developing new interpretive materials and programs; and architects and exhibition designers are reinventing the interior of the Museum in the spirit of the original 1929 design by architects Cret and Gréber
Rodin Museum
Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
www.rodinmuseum.org
