The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion | Iwan BaanThe expansion of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, completed in 2007, seamlessly merges architecture, landscape, and art into a cohesive, experiential whole. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the Bloch Building redefines how visitors engage with art, architecture, and the surrounding environment. By establishing a delicate yet striking relationship between the 1933 classical building and the modern addition, the project sets a new standard in architectural dialogue, resonating with timeless innovation. This expansion is a physical addition and a reimagining of how space, light, and movement shape the visitors journey.Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion Technical InformationArchitects1-14: Steven Holl ArchitectsLocation: Kansas City, Missouri, United StatesTopics:MuseumsArea: 15,300m2 | 165,000 Sq. Ft.Original Building: 1933Project Year: 1999 2007Photographs: Iwan Baan, Steven Holl ArchitectsThe expansion of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art fuses architecture with landscape to create an experiential architecture that unfolds for visitors as it is perceived through each individuals movement through space and time. Steven Holl ArchitectsNelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion PhotographsNight View | Iwan BaanFacade | Iwan BaanStreet View | Iwan BaanMuseum Relation | Iwan BaanRamps | Iwan BaanInterior Space | Iwan BaanCorridors | Iwan BaanInterior Light | Iwan BaanExhibition Spaces | Iwan BaanExhibition Spaces | Iwan BaanExhibition Spaces | Iwan BaanThe Nelson-Atkins Museum: The Fusion of Architecture and LandscapeThe Bloch Building stretches along the eastern edge of the Nelson-Atkins campus, seamlessly integrating with the Sculpture Park. Its defining feature is a series of five glass lenses that engage the landscape while creating new spatial relationships. These translucent volumes act as visual and functional mediators, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces.Visitors experience the architecture as a dynamic interplay of forms, light, and perspectives. Movement through the site is intentionally fluid, with pathways weaving through the lenses above ground and open galleries below. The addition transforms the entire museum site into a holistic precinct, where the architecture invites exploration and discovery at every turn. This interplay of space and movement allows visitors to perceive the building and its surroundings as a unified experience.Complementary Contrast with the Original BuildingThe original Nelson-Atkins Museum building, often referred to as a Temple to Art, is characterized by its classical, opaque, and inward-facing design. In contrast, the Bloch Building embodies lightness, transparency, and openness. Rather than mimicking or overshadowing the historic structure, the addition achieves a delicate balance, complementing the existing building while asserting its distinct identity.Key contrasts between the two structures underscore this harmony. The original buildings solid massing and directed circulation give way to the Bloch Buildings light-filled, unbounded flow. The transparent lenses invite outward views, connecting visitors to the landscape. This complementary contrast enriches both elements, with the original building providing historical gravitas and the addition offering a modern reinterpretation of spatial engagement.Experiential Design through Light and Materiality Iwan Baan Iwan BaanCentral to the Bloch Buildings architectural language is its relationship with light. The glass lenses serve as dynamic filters, gathering, diffusing, and refracting light to create varied atmospheres. During the day, natural light penetrates the galleries, bathing art in a soft, shifting glow. The lenses transform into luminous beacons at night, animating the Sculpture Park and inviting visitors to evening events.The experience of moving through the building is equally impactful. A meandering path winds between the lenses above ground, mirrored by the open flow of galleries below. This spatial fluidity fosters a sense of discovery as views shift between levels and from interior spaces to the surrounding landscape. The materials themselveslayers of translucent glassenhance this sensory experience, giving the architecture an ethereal quality that feels both substantial and ephemeral.Sustainability and Structural InnovationThe Bloch Building integrates sustainability at its core, setting a precedent for environmentally conscious museum design. The green roofs over the galleries are a standout feature, blending the Sculpture Park with the architecture while providing insulation and stormwater management. These roofs create sculpture courts between the lenses, extending the landscape and enhancing the sites ecological performance.Innovative structural systems further elevate the buildings design. The Breathing Ts, a central structural concept, transport light and air into the galleries below. These curved forms merge functionality with aesthetics, embodying the buildings ethos of integrating technical solutions with architectural beauty. Such innovations highlight the projects commitment to sustainability without compromising its visual and experiential impact.The Bloch Building expansion of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art redefines the relationship between architecture, landscape, and art. By embracing transparency, movement, and sustainability, the design creates a living dialogue between old and new, where each element enhances the others presence. It challenges architects to rethink the possibilities of experiential design and the ways architecture can shape human interaction with art and the environment.Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion PlansFirst Floor | Steven Holl ArchitectsGround Floor | Steven Holl ArchitectsLongitudinal Section | Steven Holl ArchitectsCross Section by Main Lobby & Garage | Steven Holl ArchitectsCross Section Conexion with Original Building | Steven Holl ArchitectsCross Section | Steven Holl ArchitectsNelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion Image GalleryAbout Steven Holl ArchitectsSteven Holl is an acclaimed American architect known for his innovative approach to integrating architecture, landscape, and light. Born in 1947 in Bremerton, Washington, Holl founded Steven Holl Architects in 1976 and has since completed numerous iconic projects worldwide. Renowned for his conceptual and experiential designs, Holl often employs a poetic use of light and materiality, creating spaces that engage the senses and respond to their environmental and cultural contexts. Some of his most celebrated works include the Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Simmons Hall at MIT, and the Linked Hybrid in Beijing.Notes & Additional CreditsClient: Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtArchitect: Steven Holl ArchitectsLocal Architect: BNIM ArchitectsDesign Architect: Steven Holl, Chris McVoyPartner in Charge: Chris McVoyProject Architects: Martin Cox, Richard TobiasProject Team: Masao Akiyoshi, Gabriela Barman-Kraemer, Matthias Blass, Molly Blieden, Elissavet Chryssochoides, Robert Edmonds, Simone Giostra, Annette Goderbauer, Mimi Hoang, Makram El-Kadi, Edward Lalonde, Li Hu, Justin Korhammer, Linda Lee, Fabian Llonch, Stephen ODell, Susi Sanchez, Irene Vogt, Urs Vogt, Christian WassmannStructural Engineer: Guy Nordenson and AssociatesAssociate Structural Engineer: Structural Engineering AssociatesMechanical Engineer: W.L. Cassell & AssociatesGlass Consultant: R.A. Heintges & AssociatesLighting Consultant: Renfro Design GroupLandscape Architect: Gould Evans Goodman AssociatesArtist: Walter De Maria