Allied Works has been selected to design a new $50 million art museum at Middlebury College in Vermont. The Portland- and Brooklyn-based firm was chosen by the Middlebury Board of Trustees to ideate the future building on the campuss north side near Battell Hall, the Johnson Memorial Building, Wright Memorial Theatre, Sunderland Language Center, and le Chteau. The new art museum is part of the universitys effort to reconfigure and enhance the north side of its campus. Middlebury President Laurie Patton said the institution will promote the arts and democracy and reinforce the power of the arts to communicate and promote the common good.Renderings show a low-lying volume clad in a strirated material that meshes well with the stately, historic architecture that makes up much of the Middlebury University campus. A large void in the block opens to the main entrance and rectilinear apertures puncture the facade. Allied Works said its conceiving the museum as a beacon signaling the importance of the arts on campus.The mission is building a new arts agora, the development team shared. Our goal is to create a place of wonder, where the architecture amplifies the place it occupies and the work it holds and inspiresa place of imagination and exploration for Middlebury and the world, Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works principal and founder, said in a statement. Upon completion, the art museum will house Middleburys approximately 7,000 works from antiquity to contemporaneity, making them more accessible. It will also expand exhibition, teaching, and multipurpose spaces for students and faculty alike. The architects said they will strictly adhere to Middleburys sustainability goals by incorporating energy-efficient practices.The arts have always been essential to democratic life, allowing us to envision new worlds and connect across differences, Patton added. Our student-run arts festival, Nocturne, shows how transformative this can be.Patton continued: The new museum and arts quadrangle will bring that spirit into the heart of our campus, creating a lively artistic hub with spaces for outdoor exhibits, music, sculpture, and performance.Design will begin in 2025. Construction will start in 2027 and the museum is slated to open in 2028.So far, $35 million has been raised to finance the $50-million project.