Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd.
Rheinschanze 6
4056 Basel, Switzerland
Email: info@herzogdemeuron.com
Phone: +41 61 385 5757
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
The site is along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, an important axis that runs across Philadelphia between the Museum of Art and the Swan Memorial Fountain. This axis has public sculptures by two generations of the Calder familyâwith works by both Calderâs father and grandfather. The siteâs triangular shape is a leftover from 1990s planning for the Vine Street Expressway.
Rather than emphasizing forms and colors as in his artwork, we studied how his pieces occupied their environmentsâCalderâs studios and homesâand incorporated these spatial qualities into the design.
The overall design was developed by Jacques Herzog through a process of exchanging sketches, emails, and text messages with the project team to test gestural ideas. This is now shared in the book âCalder Gardensâ by Hauser & Wirth Publishers.
Many concepts were explored, including a vertical stack of studios or exhibition spaces with connecting ramps.
The project evolved into a more horizontal, nonlinear layoutâa sequence of unexpected spaces that unfold and reveal themselves as visitors move through the building rather than a singular form.
On the other side, the Wall is expressed as a simple barn-like structure facing Vine St., referencing traditional American architecture.
The Disc defines the entry point, creating a gathering space for visitors and an outdoor location for Calderâs art. Pathways from the northeast and northwest corners of the site draw visitors through the garden towards a single central opening in the Wall where a folded metal canopy covers a wood-lined entry area.
The lobby is domestic in scaleâdifferent than the typical large-scale spaces that define most museum entryways.
From the lobby, visitors descend to the galleries below. A large stair brings people down to the Highway Gallery, doubling as a small auditorium for gathering.
A linear window frames a view of the highway and city. From the Highway Gallery, visitors can look into the Tall Gallery below. A beam separates the Tall Gallery from the space below the Discâthe narrow slot above the beam offers a glimpse into the gallery beyond.
From the Highway Gallery, visitors descend through the Cuboid Stair lined with dark, rough concrete. A nook on the stair landing can be used to display artwork.
From the stair, visitors pass through the Tall Gallery and encounter the daylit Open Plan Gallery. The geometry of the Open Plan Gallery is orthogonal on the east and west and curved towards the north, reflecting the Disc above.
The Apse Gallery is created from two offset curved wallsâthis gallery has no visible corners to distract from the view of the artwork inside.
From the Open Plan Gallery, a narrow slot reveals the Sunken Garden and the entry to the Curved Gallery. The Sunken Garden is surrounded by a densely planted wall; a single stabile will be placed against it, offering yet another distinct background to experience Calderâs work. The Sunken Gardenâs wall forms the geometry of the Curved Gallery, providing a fully internalized space with maximum control over light conditions for displaying sensitive works.
The Open Plan Gallery has a view into the Vestige Garden. The Vestige Garden takes cues from the cityâs pre-existing urban plan before the parkwayâs development. The gardenâs walls feature âscratched concrete,â created by hammering the wet concrete in a process used in the Schaulager in Basel.
A Quasi Gallery provides a cave-like, covered outdoor space that mediates between the highly controlled gallery spaces on the interior and the exposed garden spaces outside.
To determine optimal artwork placement, we made a detailed working model for the Calder Foundation, allowing them to experiment with various configurations and sightlines throughout the complex spatial sequence before installation.
On November 15th, 2022, local Philadelphia officials, press and members of our design team gathered on the 1.8-acre Calder Gardens site for its ceremonial groundbreaking.