Johnston Marklee to Lead Miami Beach Museum Expansion Project
The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach has selected Los Angeles-based architecture firm Johnston Marklee to lead its forthcoming expansion. The project will add a new pavilion on 22,000 square feet of space currently used for parking. The expansion builds on Pritzker Prize-winning architect Arata Isozaki’s 1995 concept for the institution’s campus in Collins Park, centred around Russell Pancost’s Art Deco pavilion from the 1930s.
Firm Expertise
Johnston Marklee is well versed in museum expansion and renovation projects. The firm converted Roy Lichtenstein’s former Manhattan studio to house the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program, built the Menil Drawing Institute on the campus of the Menil Collection in Houston, and led a significant renovation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The firm has also designed spaces for several Los Angeles galleries including Marian Goodman Gallery, Honor Fraser, Roberts Projects and Various Small Fires.
Design Elements
The Bass Museum project will include three main elements designed through careful analysis of light and shadow, space and volume, and the surrounding park and urban context. An elevated gallery will display the museum’s expanding permanent collection while meeting resiliency guidelines in flood-, heat wave- and hurricane-prone South Florida. An outdoor patio will feature a mix of shaded and exposed areas for flexible public use. Within the patio, a stage area will accommodate outdoor screenings and events. “We are thrilled to reimagine the southwest corner of Collins Park for The Bass,” said Mark Lee, founding partner, Johnston Marklee. “Through careful analysis of light and shadow, space and volume, and the surrounding park and urban context, we are planning a transformative project that will increase public access to the museum’s programs and artworks,” said Sharon Johnston, founding partner, Johnston Marklee.
Institutional Context
The museum last underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2015-2017, which cost 12 million United States dollars and added around 10,000 square feet of exhibition and public space. In November 2022, the museum was awarded 20.1 million United States dollars in city-issued funds as part of a municipal bond authorised by local voters. No timeline, preliminary designs or budget for the current project have been announced. “Having just celebrated our 60th year, we are firmly focused on the future, and this expansion is a vital part of that vision, allowing us to deepen our engagement with artists and our community by creating new, flexible spaces to gather, reflect and experience art in meaningful ways,” said Silvia Karman Cubiñá, executive director, The Bass Museum of Art. “We cannot wait to unveil it and to welcome visitors from near and far.”
Cultural Role
The Bass Museum puts on robust year-round programming that puts local, regional, national and global artists in dialogue. Additionally, the museum becomes a compulsory art-world destination every December when the international community descends on Miami Beach for the local Art Basel fair, held two blocks away at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The forthcoming Bass Museum expansion will add gallery space, a patio and an outdoor event area to support these programs and address climate resiliency needs in Collins Park.
Image Courtesy: The Art Newspaper
