The Office for Metropolitan Architecture—better known as OMA, the firm founded by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas—recently unveiled a first look at its latest North American project, a sleek, modern addition on the 83-year-old Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, scheduled to open on Friday, June 24.
Completed in collaboration with local firm Provencher Roy Architectes, at 160,382 square feet the annex (called the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion) will provide 90 percent more square footage to the cultural institution, which is the single museum dedicated entirely to Québecois art. In a release, the firm also touted the new building's contributions to the urban environment, saying that it will connect the museum to surrounding street life and an adjacent public park.
Inside the glass and steel structure, which comprises a trio of interconnected volumes, the program includes column-free galleries (natch), as well as a café, auditorium, and, of course, a museum shop. A swooping, sculptural stair connects many of these spaces, providing a note of drama and a bit of visual interest.
∙ New Pierre Lassonde Pavilion Will Open to the Public on June 24 [OMA]
∙ All Architecture coverage [Curbed]