Cranbrook Art Museum by SmithGroup JJR

Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the Cranbrook Art Museum is a three-story structure that provides 7,000 square feet of art collection storage. The Collections Building is composed of three rectangular volumes decreasing in height and width as the building progresses northward away from the museum. The west facade is a continuous brick wall that steps down as the volumes recede. Void of fenestration the brick is toned a deep, rich brown and clear coated to provide for gentle reflections amongst the fine blades of stainless steel. The building’s interior is an expression of utilitarian concrete block construction enhanced to an artistic light. The changes come courtesy of the SmithGroup JJR which has saved the Cranbrook Art Museum’s accreditation from the AAM thanks to the new-world upgrades.

Source: ArchDaily

Photography: Jim Haefner