Krieble Gallery

This project adds a new art gallery building to an existing house on the grounds of the Florence Griswold Museum, the storied home of the Lyme Art Colony, one of the principal locales for Impressionism in America.

The addition contains a lobby, a museum gift shop, bathrooms, three art galleries, art storage, a conservation studio, a study center, and loading dock. It connects to the Marshfield House, a 20th century residence on a site overlooking the Lieutenant River, making, with it, a single facility that provides new space for art, visitor services, and administrative offices.

Client

Florence Griswold Museum

Location Old Lyme, CT
Size 14,000 Sq. Ft.
Features addition, renovation
Program galleries, storage, studio, gift shop, classroom
Year Completed 2002
Photo Credit Jeff Goldberg/Esto, Derek Hayn/Centerbrook

The addition uses white sheds and gables to house art in a memorable yet simple New England manner. Curvilinear walls on either side of a trio of gable-roofed sheds help differentiate this new structure from the Marshfield House. A pair of octagonal elements at its east corner house the museum gift shop and the reception desk. The three galleries soar upwards through large shading devices towards structural skylights, giving them the luminous quality of natural light the Lyme Art Colony was known for, but without the damaging effects of ultra-violet intrusion.

The historic core of the museum grounds is Miss Florence's house, which faces Lyme Street to the south. This Late Georgian building housed artists who came to the colony in the early 20th century. West of Miss Florence's house, a new entry road was introduced to bring visitors to the grounds, the Krieble Gallery, and visitor parking without disturbing the historic landscape.

“The high quality of this project deserves special recognition. The building fits extremely well within the site. ” Jury comments, SARA 2003 Design Award of Merit

MORE INFORMATION

Awards

  • Design Award of Merit, Society of American Registered Architects
  • Honorable Mention for Metal Roofing, Metal Architecture Magazine Design Award