A renowned Swiss architectural firm is being tasked to transform the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). The goal is to make the downtown-area institute even more user-friendly.
Officials with the museum announced February 12 that Herzog & de Meuron was chosen to create a comprehensive campus plan that will integrate SAMA’s location along the San Antonio River and its historic brewery structures, and address the evolving needs of local residents and visitors.
According to a press release, the campus plan will prioritize museum accessibility, enhance art storage facilities and outdoor spaces, and promote a sustainable environment focused on the community. Work on the campus plan will take place now through June 2025.
The museum is housed in what used to be Lone Star Brewery, and officials say changes are also intended to magnify the noteworthiness of the museum’s historic 19th century brewery buildings and their outdoor squares.
Edward Hart, SAMA’s board chair, said he and fellow museum leaders are excited by a chance to better position SAMA in a fast-growing neighborhood that has seen the redevelopment of the old Pearl Brewery, plus the addition of new housing and businesses.
“As stewards of the last remaining green space along the [River Walk] Museum Reach and owners of the largest property adjacent to the river, this master plan will serve as a critical roadmap, enabling us to create a more vibrant, welcoming space for the community to enjoy,” said Hart in a statement.
Museum officials used an extensive selection process that culminated in choosing Herzog & de Meuron, who they said had an innovative approach to art museum design, expertise in adaptive reuse, and notable work with cultural institutions.
Herzog & de Meuron has led projects such as the Tate Modern in London, where they turned the former Bankside Power Station into an art destination. Its team also restored the historic interiors of the former Park Avenue Armory in New York City, creating a new space for visual and performing arts. The firm was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001.
Overall, Herzog & de Meuron has completed 200-plus projects, including art museums, artist studios, exhibition spaces and concert halls, worldwide over more than 40 years.
Although SAMA is relatively new, it does have a growing legacy to consider. The first pieces of fine art that would form the basis of its collection were initially held with the Witte Museum for most of the middle part of the 20th century until 1981, when SAMA formally opened.
Emily Ballew Neff, the Kelso Director at SAMA, said this project is a chance to develop a visionary blueprint for the museum’s 13-acre campus.
“We are also deeply grateful to CPS Energy for their generous conveyance of our final acre, which greatly supported our growth and broadened our impact,” said Neff.
Ascan Mergenthaler, senior partner with Herzog & de Meuron, said he and his colleagues are excited by the challenge of transforming the SAMA campus. Leaders with the architectural firm will get feedback from museum staff and board leaders as well as members and neighboring residents.
“We are thrilled to collaborate on defining an inclusive, sustainable and forward-looking vision for SAMA, which takes full advantage of its generous outdoor spaces, its landscape, its impressive historic buildings and its wide-ranging art collection,” Mergenthaler said in a statement.