Principles + Elements

The Milwaukee Art Museum is an architectural landmark consisting of three buildings designed by Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava. The Milwaukee Art Museum incorporates REPETITION through its abstract geometric polyhedral columns. The columns are vertically aligned to create SYMMETRY and clean LINES to create EMPHASIS on the art within the building. The blueish tint of the symmetrical windows gives CONTRAST against the white exterior and allows natural LIGHTING to flood into the museum. The geometry and FORMS used in the Milwaukee Art Museum allows the architecture to stand out in the city.

Connections

The Milwaukee Art Museum has a location that allows a connection for occupants to interact with the architecture and the shores of the water located in close proximity to the site. The Quadracci Pavilion is designed to respond to the culture of the lake: the sailboats, the weather, the sense of motion, and change. The design forms a shape similar to the prow of a ship, with floor to ceiling windows that look over Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Art Museum connects a clinch on the history of art and look to the future for an ever-growing city.

Materials

The Milwaukee Art Museum is constructed of a stainless-steel material, creating a composition that is both functional and symbolic, opening to receiving visitors, and creates a memorable image for the city it is located in. The 142,050-square-foot structure was largely created by pouring concrete into wooden forms. The design features pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a central nave topped by a 90-foot-high glass roof, in other words Santiago Calatrava’s interpretation of a Gothic cathedral.

Light + Color

The Quadracci Pavilion uses cutting-edge lighting capabilities to participate in citywide lighting events on a grander scale with arrays of colors. As a recognizable symbol standing in the city of Milwaukee, the Quadracci Pavilion’s wings showcase a light display during the holidays joining a tradition on the Milwaukee skyline. The form of the building itself allows for the position of each window to control the level of light that reaches the art, as well as white interior walls for art to attract a visitor’s eyes.

Experience

The Milwaukee Art Museum serves as an iconic sculptural addition to the city of Milwaukee. The destination resources visitors with a dynamic art experience, as well as a site that rises from sea level to city level. The Milwaukee Art Museum symbolizes Milwaukee’s ambition and forward-thinking vision as a place for community, education, and celebration fostering creativity for all audiences.

Theories

Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava designed the Milwaukee Art Museum as a staple for the city of Milwaukee. The museum is Wisconsin’s largest art institution and home to many collections. The museum reflects on Milwaukee’s home on the foot of Lake Michigan and creates a memorable image for the both the museum and the city. Milwaukee Art Museum is referred to as “one of the country’s finest examples of modern architecture put to work for civic purposes.”

Technology

The Milwaukee Art Museum is a modernist building shaped like a floating cross, with wings cantilevered from a central base. The museum’s signature wings, the Burke Brise Soleil, form a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. The Brise Soleil is made up of 72 steel fins, ranging in length from 26 to 105 feet. The wings take 3 and a half minutes to open or close. Sensors on the fins continually monitor the wind speed and direction, so when winds exceed 23 mph for more than 3 seconds, the wings close automatically.

Finishes

The interior of the Milwaukee Art Museum is made of concrete and stainless steel, as designers controlled the white interior for the collections of art that inhabit the space. The flooring consists of white marble tiling, shiny in comparison to the walls and reflects the natural light that shines through the large windows. The finishes in the Milwaukee Art Museum allow the art to tell its own story, minimizing the distractions found around it.

Furnishings

The Milwaukee Art Museum consists of a grand hall, new exhibition galleries, an auditorium, a store, and a cafe. The museum contains few furnishings in the gallery and exhibition spaces as they contain large art collections, however chairs, benches, and couches are available in the reflection areas of most of the galleries. Throughout the cafe, Eero Saarinen inspired tables and chairs can be located in the dining room and outdoor patio.

Telling Stories

The Milwaukee Art Museum tells a story of the history and a look to the future for the city of Milwaukee. The museum innovatively displays modern technology in an ever-growing city. The Milwaukee Art Museum creates a new home for art collections and the War Memorial Center. The design of the Milwaukee Art Museum serves a purpose different than any other art institution in the state of Wisconsin.

Additional Links

Milwaukee Art Museum | Visit (mam.org).

Attractions – Milwaukee Art Museum (visitmilwaukee.org).

Sources

CRSI. “Milwaukee Art Museum Addition.” Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, 23 Nov. 2022. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

“Milwaukee Art Museum – Quadracci Pavilion.” arcVision.Org, 20 Feb. 2017. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

Milwaukee Art Museum. “A Place for Exploration Reflection Community.” Milwaukee Art Museum, 2024. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

Sharma, Anushka. “Milwaukee Art Museum by Santiago Calatrava: A Spectacular Kinetic Structure.” RTF | Rethinking The Future, 2 May 2023. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.