OMA has created design galleries and a hands-on design studio as part of a major renovation of the Denver Art Museum (DAM). New exhibitions and the studio debut in June, 2020.
OMA designed nearly 10,000 square feet of galleries and studio space within the Gio Ponti-designed Martin Building of the Denver Art Museum.
OMA and Shohei Shigematsu created three distinct rooms – the Joanne Posner-Mayer Mezzanine Gallery, the Ellen Bruss Design Studio and the Amanda J. Precourt Deign Galleries
DAM will debut new exhibitions and the studio on June 6, 2020. This is part of the phased reopening of the Martin Building, formerly known as the North Building.
OMA and Shohei Shigematsu created three new rooms
“We are honored to collaborate once again with the Denver Art Museum,” said Shigematsu. “It is exciting to design a new space within the historic Gio Ponti building and draw from his extensive, multi-faceted design philosophy.
“The role of design in society is always changing and ever diversifying. Galleries need to react to these changes, beyond posing new ways of seeing.
“The three new spaces are more than just galleries for consuming design. They each have their own spatial and programmatic identities but work collectively as a platform for discourse around the boundless contexts of design.”
The inaugural installation will boast more than 400 objects across two new exhibitions – ‘By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects’ and ‘Gio Ponti: Designer of a Thousand Talents’.
10,000 square feet of galleries and studio space at DAM
The latter will open in the renovated Joanne Posner-Mayer Mezzanine Gallery, and the former in the new Amanda J. Precourt Galleries.
“Design is unique for its accessibility and connection to our daily lives,” said Darrin Alfred, curator of architecture and design at DAM.
“We are thrilled to give prominence to thought-provoking and inspiring objects – drawn primarily from the DAM’s architecture and design collection – in this newly constructed space, providing our visitors an engaging setting for a deeper appreciation and understanding of design and the world around us.”
