Corning Museum of Glass unveils plans for $64 million expansion project
The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York has unveiled plans for the new North Wing of the museum, which will entail an expenditure of $64 million.
The North Wing has been designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners and will encompass an area of 100,000 square feet. The new wing will accommodate light-filled galleries, spreading over a total area of 26,000 square feet.
The galleries will incorporate a light-filtering system, which will allow permeation of natural light into the interiors. The wing will also house a new temporary exhibition gallery, which will be exclusive for contemporary art and design exhibitions.
The project also involves renovation of the adjacent building of the former Steuben Glass factory, which will then be used for live glassmaking presentations. The building will have a capacity for 500 visitors and feature retractable seats. The area will have a gallery-level balcony, which will run around the perimeter of the hall and give a 360 degree view of glassmaking. The building will have a black exterior.
The project also involves removal of the existing façade of both the north and south walls of the building and replacing it with glass. The glass façade will expose the original beauty of the old building. The facade of the new gallery will be made of white aluminum, with perpendicular blades of ultra-thin specialty glass.
The project is entirely funded by Corning Incorporated. Construction of the North Wing is scheduled for completion in 2014.
