Wesleyan Universitys campus, tucked away in Middletown, Connecticut, is a stately one. Many of its brick buildings predate World War II, such as those by McKim, Mead, and White. The last major addition there was a complex by Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, finished in 1973. Now, Peterson Rich Office (PRO) has completed the first new arts building at Wesleyan in more than 50 years. Pruzan Art Center is the new, 8,500-square-foot home for Wesleyan Universitys prestigious Davison Arts Collectiona robust, internationally renowned collection of works on paper.The Pruzan Art Center is a transformative addition to Wesleyan University, offering a space where art, history, and academic inquiry come together, PRO cofounder Miriam Peterson said in a statement. Our vision was to create a gallery that not only protects delicate works of art but also encourages connection between people, disciplines, and the campus itself.The gallery space was designed to exhibit and protect precious works of art on paper. ( Rafael Gamo/Courtesy PRO)Construction on the new addition broke ground in 2021. Today, Davison Arts Collection is sandwiched between two monumental campus buildings: Olin Memorial Library and the Public Affairs Center (PAC). Both Olin Memorial Library and PAC were designed by McKim, Mead, and White. Pruzan Art Center can be understood as a thoroughfare between the McKim, Mead, and White buildings. It simultaneously serves however as a space for respite, where visitors can spend time with the priceless works of art on paper.Inside, the space is defined by its roofs underbelly, and its sweeping but subtle curvature. In plan, the building is informed by a string north-south axes. This creates sight lines between galleries that call to mind the Sainsbury Wing in London by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown.Wood lines the entryways into the galleries. ( Rafael Gamo/Courtesy PRO)The Center is broken into two volumes. The first is where the entrance is sited. This partmade of steel, glass, and woodcontains the lobby, which connects to the adjacent structures. The second, climate-controlled volume holds print and teaching galleries. To protect the art works, this volume has highly-insulated walls and no natural light, entombed in thick, stone walls. Outside, a forecourt dotted with a fountain provides visual splendor that pairs nicely with the McKim, Mead, and White buildings. This forecourt is the new main ADA accessible entrance to the campus library complex.One elevation faces a stately forecourt. ( Rafael Gamo/Courtesy PRO)Wesleyan is one of our great institutions of culture and inquiry, added Nathan Rich, PRO cofounder. Were honored to take part in this bold investment in the liberal arts.The opening at Wesleyan University comes amid an ongoing project by PRO at The Met in New York. At The Met, PRO will design a new special exhibition gallery andreimagine the Museums dining and retail spaces, along with its street-level entrance at 83rd Street and Fifth Avenue, as reported by AN.