‘Rectilinear Solidity / Interconnected Voids’ by Carey Nagle

BNIM conceived the new University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art building as a rectilinear solid interrupted by interconnected voids. These light-filled, linked spaces create a home for the display, conservation, and storage of the collection, while guiding patrons physically and visually through the museum. These are exterior exhibition spaces, educational areas, and horizontal and vertical pathways, all connected by a three-story light well that comprises the core of the museum and permeates the entirety of the experience.

Recalling the timeless academic and cultural brick masonry buildings of Alvar Aalto, Louis Khan, and Eero and Eliel Saarinen, the exterior brick cladding of the museum compliments the masonry characteristics of neighboring structures and conveys the timelessness and stability of the collection housed within. Through an alternating composition of brick texture that refers to the internal organization of the building, the façade will be transformed by the daily and seasonal changes in sunlight, creating oscillating levels of reflection and shadow. The dark, warm brick contrasts with the predominantly red brick of the surrounding buildings, clearly emphasizing the significance of the museum among them. This meaningful dichotomy is further emphasized with the white, light-filled interiors and warm wood detailing.

Carey Nagle, AIA LEED AP BD+C is a principal in BNIM’s Des Moines office. Carey has emerged as a young leader in the realm of high-performance design excellence and professional leadership. He is a holistic practitioner with a broad range of notable project experience, including museums and cultural facilities, as well as higher education projects, office buildings, adaptive reuse, and modernist preservation.

Carey is currently leading the design of the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art. His projects have been recognized with multiple national awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), including the 2016 AIA Honor Award for the renovation of the American Enterprise Group National Headquarters and the 2012 COTE Top Ten Green Building Award for the Iowa Utilities Board and Office of Consumer Advocate.

Carey received his Bachelors of Architecture from Iowa State University. He currently serves on the Iowa State University Department of Architecture’s Architectural Advisory Committee and the City of Des Moines’ Urban Design Review Board. In 2016, Carey received the AIA National Young Architect Award.

TAKEN FROM THE INVITATION BY THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, STANLEY MUSEUM OF ART. MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT HERE.