Since 1882, the museum has been a source of inspiration for both its high-achieving student body and the surrounding community, serving as a lasting cultural and educational anchor. With a collection of more than 117,000 art objects and artifacts that bring “the whole world under one roof,” as director James Steward likes to put it, the museum functions as a living academic and cultural resource, fostering learning, dialogue, and discovery while strengthening its role as a shared civic and educational hub for the community it serves.
The complex architectural design with deep overhangs and vertical, concrete facets created enormous lighting challenges. Subtle linear lighting was strategically placed close to the building at grade to minimize uplight while still highlighting the texture of the façade. This was done only at main entry area façades to reduce LPD. Downlights and under bench lighting further contribute to ambient light and the desired floating effect.  On the interiors, directional, deep coffered ceilings in the galleries required creative solutions to minimize scallops on the coffers. Wood coffers in public spaces were grazed with light. In galleries coffers were backlit with both natural and artificial light with a perimeter slot of track.

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