Smithsonian appoints Selldorf for American Art Museum revamp

Selldorf Architects has been commissioned to upgrade the main galleries and public spaces at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC.

The practice caused controversy with its recently-approved proposals for Venturi Scott Brown & Associates’ Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery in London. It will deliver a “comprehensive reinstallation” of the Washington gallery’s exhibition and interpretation spaces, the Smithsonian said.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum – known as SAAM – houses one of the world’s largest and most inclusive collections of American art, including works by John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The museum is based in Washington DC’s Greek revival-style Old Patent Office Building, which it shares with the US National Portrait Gallery.

SAAM said Selldorf’s design would “set the stage for a new vision of American art at the nation’s flagship collection”, showcasing newly acquired works, bringing new voices to the fore, and adding interpretation strategies that will present a more inclusive narrative.

Director Stephanie Stebich said the project would “refocus and revitalise” SAAM’s signature galleries for the first time since a renovation that completed in 2006.

“This reinstallation project will invite essential conversations around inclusion and diversity, now central to both public discourse and the daily work of arts organisations,” she said.

“It will shed new light on American artists whose voices will be more prominent in conversations about American art.”

Selldorf Architects’ founding principal Annabelle Selldorf said the practice had begun creating a concept and design masterplan for the project in 2020.

“While respecting the historic architecture, our new gallery designs allow the museum to tell more diverse stories from the collection, making the visitor experience more welcoming, inclusive and impactful,” she said.

SAAM said the plan underscored the grandeur of the building’s historical architecture while creating new display spaces, including a dedicated gallery for time-based media that will debut with a video installation, “Lincoln, Lonnie and Me – A Story in 5 Parts” by Carrie Mae Weems.

The Smithsonian Institution said SAAM had so-far raised more than US$9m (£7.44m at today’s exchange rates) for the project, which will be conducted in phases that allow the main building to remain open to the public.

The first phase of the project covers the museum’s galleries for modern and contemporary art on the third floor. The galleries closed temporarily in 2021 but are expected to reopen in September.