Spotlight
Handled with Care: A Monumental Move for University of Iowa’s Stanley Museum of Art
The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art is featured on the cover of the Fall 2023 issue of Iowa Architect magazine. The Stanley Museum of Art is a 63,000 SF new cultural arts destination at the University of Iowa that returns a dedicated art museum presence to campus following flooding of the original university art museum in 2008.
Featured on pages 20-23 of the Fall 2023 issue, the article “Handled with Care: A Monumental Move for University of Iowa’s Stanley Museum of Art” by Anna Aversing, Assoc. AIA, describes how BNIM’s design of the Stanley Museum of Art addresses resiliency and accessibility issues that the art museum faced after the extensive flooding of the campus 14 years ago. The article highlights key strategies that the design team implemented to ensure that, in case of another catastrophic flooding event, the museum’s collection will remain safe and dry, while engaging the campus and community in arts education and exploration.
Designed to serve as a new library and laboratory for the Arts, the Stanley Museum of Art provides a series of flexible gallery spaces, a visual classroom, terraces, and public gathering areas where individuals can discover, learn, and discuss the extensive collection.