Shelburne Museum unveils replacement for dropped Adjaye Associates scheme

Shelburne Museum in Vermont, USA, has unveiled a design by architecture studios Annum Architects, Reed Hilderbrand and Two Row Architect for its Native American Art Center after cancelling a scheme by Adjaye Associates last year.

The replacement design for the Perry Center for Native American Art features a circular structure covered in red-coloured shingles with a glass front and a central oculus on the ceiling to bring light in.

Renderings show three separate parabolic sections visible from the outside that delineate the separate section of the interior space, which converge in a lobby and central circulation area, illuminated by the oculus skylight.

The museum team said the project is meant to reflect a "collaborative approach" between the museum, the architecture studios and Tribal Nations.

"Searching for the appropriate design response for the building and landscape has been a deliberate and deeply collaborative exploration between Shelburne Museum, Two Row, Reed Hilderbrand and Annum," said Annum Architects principal Steven Gerrard.

"Embedded in the design are careful listening, research and creative iteration of ideas, all reflective of how the museum has operated since its founding."

It said that "50 Indigenous partners" were consulted on the processes through a series of meetings – referred to as Talking Circles – were carried out in preparation for the design.

"The Talking Circles guided us in considering this project in different ways," said Two Row Architect partner Matthew Hickey, which is based on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Canada.

"The building needed to honor the host nation, the Abenaki. The internal space, where the items from many Tribal Nations will be housed, will need to accommodate unique moments with items in the collection and allow for those items to be looked at and taken care of in unique ways."

The centre will host hundreds of items of Indigenous art and also function as an educational space on the museum's campus. It will be the 40th structure on the Vermont campus.

A landscape scheme by Reed Hilderbrand includes a walkways weaving through native plantings and a circle of stones outside of the front of the museum.

Construction is slated to begin in 2025.

Adjaye's behaviour "incompatible" with Shelburne's values

The announcement comes more than a year after the museum "disengaged" from a partnership with Adjaye Associates after that studio's founder David Adjaye was accused of "sexual misconduct" by three former employees.

"The recent allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against David Adjaye, and his admission of inappropriate behavior, are incompatible with our mission and values, which left the museum with no alternative but to immediately sever ties with the architect and his firm," said Shelburne Museum CEO Thomas Denenberg at the time.

Focusing on collaboration with Indigenous partners in the construction and presentation of art museums has become more common in recent years. Last year, the Portland Museum of Art announced a mass-timber expansion to its campus, which was designed in part to pay homage to Wabanaki people.

The images are courtesy of Annum Architects 

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