The Baltimore Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees announced its selection of the Maryland-based architecture firm Ziger/Snead to work with the Museum on its ambitious $24 million capital renovation. The decision follows a comprehensive year-long selection process. The BMA’s much-anticipated renovation—scheduled to be completed in 2014 during the BMA’s 100th Anniversary—will create dynamic spaces for art and people and ensure the BMA is a magnet for new generations of visitors.
“The BMA’s Architect Selection Committee was very impressed by Ziger/Snead’s clarity of vision and design and their success with both historic and contemporary buildings,” said Stiles Tuttle Colwill, Chair, BMA Board of Trustees. “We are confident that their design will help advance the BMA’s goal of creating a more welcoming environment for our visitors and a more beautiful setting for our magnificent collection.”
“The extraordinary creativity and effort demonstrated by all of the Maryland firms who participated in the selection process made this a very difficult decision,” said BMA Director Doreen Bolger. “We are extremely grateful to all of the firms.”
In January 2010, the Board formed an Architect Selection Committee and, recognizing the abundance of highly qualified firms in our state, voted to consider only architecture firms headquartered in Maryland. This is the first time the BMA has focused a search exclusively on Maryland-based architects for a project of this scale. It is estimated that the entire renovation project will create 185 jobs in construction and related industries.
The Architect Selection Committee was chaired by Stiles Tuttle Colwill and composed of current and former Trustees with expertise in architecture, design, construction, finance, and fundraising: Alexander C. Baer, Diane Cho, Suzanne F. Cohen, Nancy L. Dorman, Sandra Levi Gerstung, Amy L. Gould, Charles W. Newhall III, Frederica K. Saxon, and James D. Thornton. The BMA hired Columbia, Maryland-based Synthesis, Inc., as owner’s representative last fall to manage the selection process and complete the renovation project. The Architect Selection Committee issued a Request for Qualifications in late December 2010. A short list of firms was developed in February 2011 from an evaluation of the submittals of qualifications received. Each firm participated in an extensive tour of the BMA’s facility and presented a proposal to the committee. Two finalists were selected at the end of March. In April, the committee visited the firms’ offices and traveled to three relevant buildings designed by each firm in order to better understand how their practice could contribute to the BMA’s goals and vision. After great consideration, the committee presented its unanimous recommendation to the full Board of Trustees during a special meeting held on April 26.
The capital renovation is the result of nearly a decade of careful planning by the Museum’s Board of Trustees and staff, including a long-term strategic plan, an architectural master plan, and a campaign feasibility study. Ziger/Snead will undertake conceptual design planning throughout the summer.
General admission to the BMA is free. The BMA is open Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. The Museum is closed Monday, Tuesday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The BMA is located on Art Museum Drive at North Charles and 31st Streets, three miles north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For general Museum information, call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.