The Telfair Museum features a grand glass-enclosed foyer space facing the Savannah Historic District, and follows the conviction that when exhibitions and architecture reinforce one another, the results are infinitely superior to that of the traditional ‘black box’ approach--a neutral exhibit space, detached from the architectural experience.

Telfair Museum is in the center of the historic city of Savannah, Georgia. Facing historic Telfair Square, the museum was subject to the approval of the Savannah Historic District Board of Review. We consulted with the board, received comments in a public forum and revised the design in response until consensus and final approval was granted. The building, a contemporary structure that harmonizes with Savannah’s urban fabric, respects the traditional grid of the historic district. The height and mass of the museum relate to the surrounding structures. The glazed façade on York Street engages the tree-lined Square and is formed by two white architectural concrete ‘screens’ framing glass walls, which break up the 120-foot long frontage into bays of less than 60 feet, as required by the Historic Savannah guidelines.

• Collaborators

  Project and Construction Managers: Rives Worrell
  Mechanical, Electrical, Structural Engineers: Arup
  Lighting: Lam Partners
  Glazing Systems: Dewhurst Macfarlane & Partners

• Awards

  Award of Excellence, American Institute of Architects, Georgia Chapter, 2007
  

• Clients

  Telfair Museum of Art

• Cost

  US $35 million