Allied Works Architecture selected to design Clyfford Still Museum
November 27, 2006 — DENVER — The Clyfford Still Museum announced today that it has selected Allied Works Architecture, led by Brad Cloepfil, to design its future home in Denver, Colorado. The approximately 30,000-square-foot museum will accommodate galleries for the legendary artist’s work, including some 2,400 paintings, works on paper, and sculptures that have not been seen by the public for over 25 years. The building will also feature an education center, library and archives, collection storage, a conservation laboratory, and public areas.
“Today’s announcement of Allied Works as the architect for the future Clyfford Still Museum marks yet another milestone in the Mile High City’s growing cultural prominence,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “The Still collection is of tremendous international importance, and its presence in Denver will help further establish the city as a destination for those interested in 20th- century art.”
Based in Portland, Oregon, Allied Works Architecture is a globally recognized architectural firm with wide experience in the design of cultural, educational, and art institutions. Recent and current museum projects include the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts & Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York. The Clyfford Still Museum Architect Selection Committee chose Allied Works Architecture for its demonstrated ability to design inspiring buildings and museum spaces that are responsive to the needs of the institution, its collection, and community, and that provide visitors with a premium experience for viewing works of art.
“Throughout the selection process, Brad Cloepfil impressed the Clyfford Still Architect Selection Committee with his past museum experience, strong architectural vision, and shared respect for the artist, his work, and the mission of the Museum,” said Dean Sobel, Director of the Clyfford Still Museum. “We are pleased to be partnering with Allied Works Architecture in the design and creation of this world-class institution, dedicated to showcasing Still’s artistic brilliance and legacy.”
Allied Works’ proposal expressed a deep understanding of the Still Museum’s goals and collection needs as a single-artist institution, while thoughtfully responding to the surrounding architectural environment of Denver’s growing cultural center, which includes the new Libeskind-designed expansion for the Denver Art Museum. With roots in the Pacific Northwest of the country, Cloepfil also conveyed a profound sense of insight into the landscape that surrounded and influenced Still, who also spent time in that region.
Allied Works Architecture was selected from three finalists, including Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Ohlhausen DuBois Architects, who conducted public presentations to the Denver community and in-person interviews with the Clyfford Still Museum Architect Selection Committee in early November. The Clyfford Still Museum Board of Directors had initially invited 23 local, national and international firms to submit credentials by issuing a request for qualifications (RFQ) in June 2006. Museum officials plan to unveil concepts on the building design in the coming months.
About Allied Works
Founded in 1994 by Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works Architecture is a firm of 40 architects and support staff with offices in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Known for the integrity of its design and detailing, Allied Works creates dramatic, involving and moving spaces. Recent and current museum projects include the Contemporary Museum of Art, St. Louis, the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts & Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York. In addition to its work on museums, other Allied Works projects include the Weiden + Kennedy Advertising Agency headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and the Sun Valley Residence in Sun Valley, Idaho. Projects currently in design include a major renovation and expansion of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, in the Dallas Arts District, Dallas, Texas, and a weekend home, guest house and gallery for prominent art collectors, to be located on 350 acres in Dutchess County, New York.
About The Clyfford Still Museum
The Clyfford Still Museum was founded to promote public and scholarly understanding of the late artist’s work and legacy, through the presentation and preservation of the Clyfford Still Estate, totaling approximately 2,400 artworks bequeathed to the City of Denver in 2004. Considered one of the most important painters of the twentieth century, Still (1904-1980) was among the first generation of Abstract Expressionist artists who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediately following World War II. Still’s estate—now understood to be 94 percent of the artist’s total output—as well as his extensive archive, have been sealed off from the public since 1980.
The Clyfford Still Museum will be located in Denver, Colorado, in the heart of the Civic Center Cultural Complex, near the Denver Art Museum and its new Daniel Libeskind-designed building, the Denver Public Library designed by Michael Graves, and the Colorado History Museum. For more information about the Clyfford Still Museum, please visit www.clyffordstillmuseum.org.