Magazzino Italian Art museum has announced significant expansion news recently for its campus in New York. Magazzino is a nonprofit museum and research centre devoted to the study and public appreciation of postwar and contemporary Italian art. When two extremely passionate professionals join hands, the result is nothing but amazing which has been proved when architectural giants Miguel Quismondo and Alberto Campo Baeza collaborate to design the expansion project. Italian for “warehouse,” the name of the place pays tribute to the old computer chip manufacturing facility at the site that was repurposed, expanded upon, and transformed into the contemporary Italian art hub that exists today.
Born in Valladolid in 1946, Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza is a retired full-time design professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid. He is the proud designer of several award-winning buildings. Along with David Chipperfield and John Pawson, Alberto is considered a part of the group of designers to introduce minimalism in architecture. Campo however defends the elimination of colour in architecture, as a means to maximize the expressivity of natural light.
Raised in Spain, Miguel attained his graduate degree in architecture from the Polytechnic School in Madrid. To widen his knowledge in the field of architecture he ventured out to the United States where he established his whole career. Even during his more than twenty decades of a professional career in the field of construction and development, Miguel has continued his education side by side. He proudly holds two Master’s Degrees: one in Real Estate Management from Columbia University and another in Construction Management from NYU. He is currently involved in his Ph.D. studies in the financial aspects of Design and development. The Spanish architect also has publications in prestigious magazines namely la Biennale di Venezia, Architectural Record, A+U, Casabella, etc.
“Magazzino was launched with a commitment to serve as a cultural hub and vibrant community resource and to provide opportunities for inspiration and engagement with Italian art and creativity,” said Magazzino Director Vittorio Calabrese. “Our program has grown increasingly ambitious over the past three and a half years as we have grown as an institution. The new pavilion will enable us to better serve our community with expanded resources for visitors and provide us with flexible spaces so that we can expand our programmatic offerings in Cold Spring.”
Devoted to Post-war and Contemporary Italian art, the Magazzino was launched as a new warehouse art space in the Hudson Valley and its latest addition is 3.5 acres of additional land for the new 13,000 square-foot pavilion. The expansion will create over 5,000 square feet of flexible exhibition and programming spaces as well as new visitor amenities, including a reading lounge and a café enabling the museum to support its finances and programs across its huge campus. The work is supposed to start in spring 2021, with exhibitions and programs continuing uninterrupted at Magazzino’s main building.
Since opening to the public in June 2017 under the directorship of Vittorio Calabrese, Magazzino has expanded the range of exhibitions and programs it presents on-site, online, and in partnership with institutions throughout the region. Alongside its ongoing investigation of Arte Povera and post-war Italian art, the exhibition has also provided critical platforms for contemporary artists by consigning new work and organizing presentations. The museum has also cultivated new scholarship programs and critical researches in the field through its on-site Research Center and Scholar-in-Residence program, as well as rejuvenates its local community through annual film festivals, performing arts shows, and various public concerts
In the new design, the state of the art pavilion has been located adjacent to the main building and will mirror the structure in its rectilinear composition. With a concrete facade punctuated by windows and a series of skylights, the pavilion will create a dialogue between art and architecture and will add nearly 3,600 square feet of new gallery space to the campus with two natural light-filled galleries for special exhibitions on its main level with a third gallery on its lower floor for the display of Murano glass, and ceramics. The lower level will also highlight a 1,500 square-foot programming space overlooking a
The sunken outdoor courtyard will aid the museum to host community programs year-round, including film screenings, lectures, panel discussions, and other educational and public events. However, the top floor meets the ledge of the hilly terrain, and a reading lounge with indoor and outdoor seating will provide visitors with an opportunity for a moment of respite.
“Conceived to complement the existing museum building and reflect its elegant and simple modern design, the new pavilion brings a new dimension to the museum’s evolving campus,” said project architect Miguel Quismondo. “With strategically placed windows and skylights, the building introduces new opportunities for visitors to enjoy the beauty of the campus as it adds much-needed space for the museum’s growing education and curatorial program and allows for the presentation of projects in new formats.” He also adds that the project reflects on both the institution’s growth as well as showcases its commitment to the Cold Spring community.
