Weiss/Manfredi emerges as the architects of a $160 million Nelson-Atkins Museum expansion

WEISS/MANFREDI’s proposal for a new expansion of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has been selected at the conclusion of an international competition that began last October and drew more than 180 applications.

Their unanimous selection over five other shortlisted concepts was celebrated as one that, in the words of museum Director Julián Zugazagoitia, "captured the spirit of the museum while offering a bold vision for our future." Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi added their excitement at having the opportunity to deliver a "place where art, architecture, and landscape converge to reveal a place of discovery and delight."

The firm’s proposal for a "connected tapestry" is shaped by organic geometries that respond to the site with sensitivity while establishing a new primary entrance, pedestrian pathways through the grounds, a programmable foyer space, and a photography center. As the brief outlined, the new building will be realized at approximately 61,000 square feet. Renderings indicate a cascading tro of elliptical, green-roofed volumes framed by large expanses of glazing.

The South Terrace is also set to be expanded, as WEISS/MANFREDI says their intention is to "recenter"  the Nelson-Atkins campus around the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. A renovation of the currently "elegant but fortified" neoclassical building into a literal "signal of transparency" completes the effort while delivering a "deep sense of belonging and connection within our community."

Former Guggenheim Museum director Richard Armstrong, Barry Bergdoll, András Szántó, and Cooper Robertson all assisted the board of trustees’ selection committee in unison with Malcolm Reading Consultants, who organized the competition. 

The design, which addresses Steven Holl’s 2007 Bloch Building across the lawn, will be further developed in close collaboration with the board. The Nelson-Atkins Museum says the budget for the expansion is between $160 and $170 million.