Rafael Vinoly Expands Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art opened the first section of a three-part, eight-year expansion, designed by architect Rafael Vinoly, to the public this weekend. Vinoly, who has designed convention centers and performing art centers in Pittsburgh, Boston, and Philadelphia, is designing all three wings and a glass atrium that connects them. The new building, which will be fully realized in 2013, joins the museum’s 1916 Beaux-Arts structure and an austere Marcel Breuer-designed 1971 addition. The added space allows the museum to display more of its collection. As the architect pointed out, "It was the first time, I must say, that I actually saw the collection in its own glory.”