Construction Begins on the Contemporary Art Museum
Construction crews recently began working at the future home of the Contemporary Art Museum on 409 West Martin Street. Within the past few days, the banner in the photo above was put up on the front of the building.
The 1920s-era building in the Warehouse District has had a sign designating it as the future home of CAM for a couple of years, but movement really began late last year, after designs were completed by Clearscapes and Pugh + Scarpa:
Our architectural team of Clearscapes and Pugh + Scarpa have finished their design work. The City of Raleigh has approved our building permit, and we have selected C.T. Wilson as our general contractor. We anticipate starting construction in the first quarter of 2010 and opening the museum in 2011.
The loading dock and the awning over it on the east side of the building have already been removed. Below is a rendering of how this same view will look once completed.
The sweeping angular roof line is a bold and beautiful nod to the future resting on the side of a historic building. It will give shade to an outdoor space where a surface parking lot now exists.
This is the only structure in the Warehouse District with the distinct aluminum window shades typically seen on period residential construction in the 50s, and it will be interesting to see if these remain part of the final design. My guess is that they will likely be taken off, much like the ones on the Lulu Building were.
Sandwiched between Flanders Gallery and Designbox, the area is quickly transforming from a quiet relic of Raleigh’s manufacturing past in to an emerging arts district.
Further Reading:
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03/02/2010
Great to see this project get started. Anyone have an estimated date on when it will be completed and open to the public?
03/02/2010
Thanks for posting this Goodnight Raleigh! CAM will most likely open in the spring of 2011.
03/03/2010
Nice to see the arts moving forward in Raleigh!
03/03/2010
It’s about time!!! On behalf of all the pioneers, who used to go to the Open Artist’s shows in the late 80′s and early 90′s at the City Gallery of Contemporary Art (where Tir Na Nog is now), we welcome CAM. This location has been missing from the equation for too long. Welcome back!!!!
RIP: City Gallery, Peden Gallery II, (the old) Raleigh Contemporary Gallery (these two shared the Cafe Luna space), the gallery in the Dentist’s office (whose name escapes me), the Grove, Black Dog and the other denizens of City Market, etc. (Circa 1989).
07/11/2010
http://www.youtube.com/user/larryscarpa#p/a/u/0/miVZ50_Ih40
On Thursday June 10th, 2010 Pugh + Scarpa received the 2010 National American Institute of Architects Firm Award during the Awards Ceremony at the National American Institute of Architects Convention in Miami, Florida. Above is the link to a short video that was shown during the ceremony. This award is the highest honor an architecture firm can receive.