The National Gallery
London - Selldorf Architects - New York
A civic museum facade precedent showing the dialogue between historicist stone massing with classical orders and a contemporary glazed atrium entry.
- What we like about this project
- The abrupt transition from solid classical pilasters to an entirely transparent multi-story glass grid on the right edge.
Materials
- limestone
- glass
- steel
- stone
Visual identifiers
- stone-facade
- classical-pilasters
- glass-curtain-wall
- dusk-illumination
- civic-entrance
Style tags
- contextual
- contemporary-classical
- civic
Visual tags
- civic
- museum
- cultural
- dusk
- urban-plaza
- stone-cladding
- Geometry
- Asymmetrical composition balancing a monumental stone-clad classical facade with a tall, transparent gridded glass curtain wall to the right.
- Facade system
- Combination of limestone rainscreen/masonry backing with classical pilasters and a steel-framed structural glass curtain wall.
- Structural guess
- Steel frame and concrete core supporting masonry cladding and large-span glass curtain wall.
- Spatial scale
- Monumental multi-story public scale with large doorways and tall vertical window proportions matching civic institutional architecture.
- Lighting
- Twilight dusk sky with warm internal lighting glowing through the ground-level entry and glass atrium, complemented by facade uplighting.
- Atmosphere
- Dignified and welcoming, anchored by warm amber glow against the deep blue twilight sky.
- Environmental context
- Urban public square setting with surrounding historic masonry architecture and evening streetscape.
- Spatial experience
- Approaching from the open urban plaza reveals a transition from heavy civic masonry into a light-filled glazed entrance pavilion.
- Composition rhythm
- Vertical rhythm established by pilasters and window mullions punctuated by the massive horizontal sign band.
- Style reading
- Contextual contemporary public architecture integrating classical motifs
- Program
- Museum entrance and gallery wing
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- limestone, glass, steel, stone
- Visual identifiers
- stone-facade, classical-pilasters, glass-curtain-wall, dusk-illumination, civic-entrance
- Style tags
- contextual, contemporary-classical, civic
- Visual tags
- civic, museum, cultural, dusk, urban-plaza, stone-cladding
- Geometry
- Asymmetrical composition balancing a monumental stone-clad classical facade with a tall, transparent gridded glass curtain wall to the right.
- Facade system
- Combination of limestone rainscreen/masonry backing with classical pilasters and a steel-framed structural glass curtain wall.
- Structural guess
- Steel frame and concrete core supporting masonry cladding and large-span glass curtain wall.
- Spatial scale
- Monumental multi-story public scale with large doorways and tall vertical window proportions matching civic institutional architecture.
- Lighting
- Twilight dusk sky with warm internal lighting glowing through the ground-level entry and glass atrium, complemented by facade uplighting.
- Atmosphere
- Dignified and welcoming, anchored by warm amber glow against the deep blue twilight sky.
- Environmental context
- Urban public square setting with surrounding historic masonry architecture and evening streetscape.
- Spatial experience
- Approaching from the open urban plaza reveals a transition from heavy civic masonry into a light-filled glazed entrance pavilion.
- Composition rhythm
- Vertical rhythm established by pilasters and window mullions punctuated by the massive horizontal sign band.
- Style reading
- Contextual contemporary public architecture integrating classical motifs
- Program
- Museum entrance and gallery wing
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture