“The Herzog & De Meuron-designed building is a bench mark for purpose-built museum architecture, fully integrating the mission and core values of this institution with the special nature of our environment,” said Parrish Art Museum Director Terrie Sultan, who oversaw the 34,000-square-foot project, starting with the initial design concepts all the way through the grand opening in November 2012.
During the next installment of the Museum’s Brain Food lunchtime lecture series on Thursday, March 12th at 12 p.m., Sultan will provide her comprehensive perspective of the entire process, including planning, design, and construction of the award-winning Water Mill Museum, within the context of purpose-built architecture.
“It presented a unique opportunity to envision and realize and entirely new enterprise, wherein art, architecture and nature are holistically integrated to provide an experience not to be had elsewhere,” noted Sultan. The discussion will cover the building’s design, which was inspired by the vernacular East End architecture of sheds and potato barns. For the interior gallery spaces, the vision was to recreate the light and proportions of an artist’s studio. Attendees will hear first-hand anecdotes from the four-year process, and Sultan will speak about the Parrish Art Museum as it relates to the recent rise in new museum buildings like the new Whitney Museum of Art in New York, the Perez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland, and more.
Admission to the Brain Food Series is $10, and free for members, children and students.
Parrish Art Museum is located at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information, call 631-283-2118 or visit parrishart.org.