Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Extension
2002- approx.
Rick Mather Architects


model image from the architects

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently celebrated the Topping Out for the major concrete structure.

Construction will continue on the buildings façade and interiors and the much enlarged museum expects to complete in 2009.

The expansion will add more than 9300m2 (100,000 sq.ft.) to the existing 22300m2 (240,000 sq.ft.) building, along with a new 1.6 hectare (4 acre) sculpture garden. The main entrance will be re-orientated facing the Boulevard, displaying pieces from the museum’s collection. Upon completion, the new museum complex will include extensive new permanent and changing exhibition galleries, educational facilities, visitor service areas, a restaurant, cafe and administrative offices.


photo from the architects

The new 600-car park parking deck, also part of the expansion project, has already been completed and is in operation.

For this project, Rick Mather Architects teamed up with Richmond practice SMBW to form Rick Mather + SMBW, LLC.

Value: $100m

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts info from Rick Mather Architects 14 Mar 2008



Virginia Museum architect : Rick Mather

Rick Mather Architects were selected from an international field of competitors in 2001 to plan and design a major expansion and renovation of the 65-year old museum. This marks the first major U.S. commission for the practice. For the VMFA project Rick Mather has incorporated with the Richmond-based firm SMBW to form Rick Mather + SMBW.


image from the architects

MIPIM Future Project Award

The project has already been recognised with a MIPIM/Architectural Review Future Project Award in the urban communities and sustainability's in 2004.

Since opening in 1936 the VMFA site has expanded greatly. However, it is only since the Museum acquired land surrounding its main headquarters in the early 1990s, that an holistic approach to the site's design has been possible. A particular challenge was to return the Museum's main entrance to the Boulevard, one of Richmond's main thoroughfares, and to eliminate the rear entrance from the parking lot that has existed since the 1970s.

The approach opens the main VMFA building up to the City of Richmond and provides extensive new space for the Museum's art collections. The VMFA expansion plan envisions adding more than 100,000 square feet to the existing 240,000-square-foot building. It creates a five-level glass and limestone entrance wing which will house new galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions, a library, café, restaurant and offices. The new wing will be linked to the existing building across a central Atrium that, like a main street, opens onto new and existing spaces on three levels. Across the Atrium six glass-sided bridges will connect new and renovated upper-level galleries.


image from the architects

The VMFA's purpose to the city will be announced by a 40 foot high window facing the Boulevard and displaying pieces from the Museum's collection. From inside there will be views eastward towards the downtown area which will be visible for the first time from the Museum site and a new Entrance Plaza will provide the city with an invitation to enter.

For the first time the full 13.5 acres of the VMFA will be united as one campus. The existing parking lot to the rear of the building will be transformed into a 3.5 acre sculpture garden that covers the new three level parking facility with a terraced landscaped roof. The VMFA will break ground in 2005 with the opening slated for 2008.

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Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt