Museum News
BUILDING ON A LEGACY | PRESS AREA

Welcome to the new online PRESS AREA dedicated to the new wing.
Please also visit Building on a Legacy to learn more about the project, including construction and project updates.

Extension Project Update
Gardner Museum Celebrates Milestone in Construction of a New Wing Designed by Renzo Piano with 'Topping Out' Ceremony
Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 11:30am to 12:15pm

Construction team joins Gardner Museum Director Anne Hawley to celebrate the completion of the steel structure for the new Gardner Museum extension.

Archival Connections: Read an archival article about Mrs. Gardner's own 'Topping Out' ceremony a century-plus ago: "Mrs. Jack Gardner's Tree Surprise: Top of a Fair-Sized Fir Rises From Her Mysterious Building in the Fens" (Boston Daily Globe, Nov 6, 1900)

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Announces Public Phase of the Campaign for the Gardner
Museum kicks-off the public phase of its Campaign for the Gardner with a goal of raising the final $45 million in order to complete the total $180 million initiative. The Campaign for the Gardner will enrich the museum's legacy by enabling current programming to continue while preserving the historic musuem building and collection.

• VIDEO: Building On a Legacy
Click here to view a video with architect Renzo Piano, director Anne Hawley, and others talking about the new building project and its importance.

• New Building Project - Press Room
Click here to access a press area dedicated to the new wing.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Presents Final Design for a Renzo Piano-Designed Extension to Its Historic Building and Gardens

Plans by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano unveiled January 21, 2010 | New wing will relieve pressure on the historic building and collection, improve the visitor experience, and preserve Isabella Gardner's legacy



• Full Press Kit

buildingproject.gardnermuseum.org | A new website dedicated to the project

• An Essay by Director Anne Hawley: Building On a Legacy
• An Essay by Architecture Critic + Project Consultant Robert Campbell on the Project

"Architecture in the Age of Gehry: Modern Masterpieces"
VANITY FAIR | August 2010 | by Matt Tyrnauer
An examination of the greatest architectural works of the past 30 years - recognizing Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa and Renzo Piano(the architect for the Gardner's new wing)'s Menil Collection in Houston, among others.

Excerpts: "The Menil is taut, minimal, gem-cut perfection"

"As different as Gehry and Piano are, together they could be said to represent the state of established global architecture today."

Read the full article at VanityFair.com

"Photos: Topping Ceremony at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum"
Boston Phoenix online | June 25, 2010 | photos by Scott M. Lacey
A photo update marking a milestone in the construction of the Gardner's new wing with the "Topping Off" ceremony.

"Cultural Conversation: Elitism for All"
The Wall Street Journal, Mar 2010 | by Julia Klein, Arts Critic
A look at Director Anne's Hawley's tenure at the Gardner Museum - including plans to build a new Renzo Piano wing to ensure its future.

"The Gardner Heist: 20 Years Later"
Boston Magazine | Mar 2010 | by Paige Williams
An examination of the past 20 years at the Gardner Museum - including the tragic theft on March 18, 2010 and a look to the future with the design a a new wing by architect Renzo Piano.

"An Architect Pays Respect to a Dowager"
The New York Times | Jan 2010 | by Nicolai Ouroussoff, Architecture Critic
A critical look at the Renzo Piano design for a new wing at the Gardner || "A thoughtful, mature, even beautiful, building" + "An ideal balance between new and old without compromising the identify of either..."

"Isabella Gardner Museum Unveils New Design"
WBUR 90.9 FM, Boston's NPR Station | Jan 2010 | by Andrea Shea, Arts Reporter
Arts Reporter Andrea Shea on architect Renzo Piano and the unveiling of his design for the new wing at the Gardner, the 'magic' he hopes to achieve, and the new world-class performance hall.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Reaches Fundraising Milestone | Museum's Planned Expansion Project on Schedule and on Budget as Site Preparation and Geothermal Well Excavation Are Underway

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Board of Trustees Votes to Proceed with New Building and Palace Restoration Project

Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) Approves Gardner Museum's Proposed New Building Project and Conceptual Design

Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Board of Directors Approves Gardner Museum Restoration, Expansion Project and New Building Design by Renzo Piano

Launching its Next Century, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Selects Renzo Piano for Planning and Design of an Addition on its Campus

"In Expansion, Gardner Museum Goes Green"
WBUR 90.9 FM (Boston's NPR station) | by Andrea Shea
A "green" update on the project, including the drilling of geothermal wells and early fundraising success.

"Tackling Two Museums, Cherishing the Magic"
The Boston Globe | by Geoff Edgers
A conversation with architect Renzo Piano about the Gardner project - and Isabella Gardner's creative "madness."