Culture & Museums
From museums, to theaters, to community-based centers, we create purposeful, elevated experiences that welcome, educate, and entertain diverse audiences and resonate with museum and cultural institution clients, donors, staff, and stakeholders.
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The best museum design integrates a variety of experiences to meet visitors’ changing expectations and ensure all community members feel like they belong.
—Michael Volk, Culture & Museums leader
27 Items
Jackie Robinson Museum
New York, New York
The Jackie Robinson Museum presents the life of the first African American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a dynamic setting, designed by Gensler.
Fair Park Fitzhugh Parking Structure
Dallas, Texas
The updated Fair Park masterplan includes a 14-acre community park and a parking garage to capture displaced surface parking.
Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Los Angeles, California
Gensler partnered with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy to design its new Shonda Rhimes Performing Arts Center, a top-tier arts venue that supports the nonprofit organization’s commitment to expanding the reach of dance and theater arts to enrich the lives of young dancers.
Klyde Warren Park 2.0
Dallas, Texas
Klyde Warren Park is an urban deck park built over the recessed Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas, Texas.
Guulabaa (Place of Koala)
Cowarra State Forest, New South Wales, Australia
Gensler is designing the front-of-house visitor experience for the nature-based tourism project, Guulabaa, or Place of Koala, in Cowarra State Forest.
Kaleideum
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Forsyth County is renovating a five-story, 70,000-square-foot building in downtown Winston-Salem that will be home to an innovative children's museum by...
Air Force Flight Test Museum and STEM Center
Palmdale, California
To increase public access and inspire the next generation of pilots and explorers, the Air Force Flight Test Foundation is relocating the Flight Test Museum outside the gates of Edwards Air Force Base. As part of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts, Gensler developed a conceptual design for the reimagined museum.
Yantai Ba Jiao Bay Culture Exhibition Center
Yantai, Shandong Province, China
The Yantai Ba Jiao Bay Culture Exhibition Center, an addition to the existing city center program, features complementary architecture and landscaping language that seamlessly creates a cohesive entity, combining existing site conditions.
First Unitarian Church Fellowship Hall
Dallas, Texas
After dedicating more than 120 years to promoting diversity and inclusion, First Unitarian Church became too small to accommodate its growing congregation. A new fellowship hall was designed by Gensler to create a welcoming experience that fosters strong bonds of community.
Holcomb Family YMCA
Spring, Texas
Gensler reimagined the design of the Holcomb Family YMCA from a traditional building to a facility with flexible indoor-outdoor spaces where members can gather and exercise together.
Lijia Smart Hall
Chongqing, China
Located in Chongqing Lijia Intelligent Park, the Lijia Smart Hall is the central stage for the annual Smart China Expo, promoting smart technologies.
LaGrange Art Museum
LaGrange, Georgia
The reimagined LaGrange Art Museum will act as the gateway to historic downtown LaGrange — respecting its storied character and mirroring its local fabric while providing a canvas for universal appeal with Southern hospitality at its heart.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Los Angeles, California
Gensler collaborated with Renzo Piano Building Workshop to transform a 230,000-square-foot historic landmark structure into the lively Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which encompasses more than 50,000 square feet of gallery space, theaters, education labs, offices, conservation facilities, a restaurant, and a retail store.
Newark Community Museum of Social Justice
Newark, New Jersey
Gensler worked closely with the City of Newark to convert the 1st Police Precinct, the flashpoint of the 1967 Newark Rebellion, into a community museum for learning, healing, and storytelling.
Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City
Sanya, China
Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Industry Promotion Center is the gateway to the entire CMG Deep Ocean Technology City, which is dedicated to promoting the latest deep sea ocean research.
SAY Sí Community Arts Center
San Antonio, Texas
SAY Sí (San Antonio Youth Yes) ignites the creative power of young people as forces of positive change, empowers marginalized communities by investing in and elevating the value of artists, and advances cultural education.
Beth Yeshurun Sophia and Jack Bender Memorial Chapel
Houston, Texas
Founded by the Bender siblings to honor their parents, this cemetery chapel is the first conditioned funeral chapel for any Houston congregation.
Yulin Grand Theatre
Yulin, China
Yulin Grand Theatre is a 41,500-square-meter cultural destination with art galleries, shopping centers, hotel, and residential spaces. The design, rooted in the concept of a 'culture valley,' explores the relationship between art and culture as a generator of creativity, education, economic development, and tourism.
International Center of Photography
New York, New York
The world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture, the International Center of Photography (ICP) enlisted Gensler to realize its 20-year goal of unifying its museum and school under one roof.
Boston Center for the Arts: Brand Design
Boston, Massachusetts
Gensler partnered with the Boston Center for the Arts to reinvent its brand as a vibrant arts incubator with a bright palette and active character.
The Museum of Modern Art
New York, New York
MoMA’s multi-year expansion project had three comprehensive drivers: increase gallery space to exhibit the diverse collection in new interdisciplinary ways; provide visitors with a more inclusive experience; and better connect the Museum to the urban fabric of the city.
The Museum of Modern Art: Signage and Wayfinding Program
New York, New York
Coinciding with the highly anticipated 2019 expansion, MoMA commissioned Gensler to create a campus-wide signage, wayfinding, and donor recognition system.
Pavillon Notre-Dame
Paris, France
Gensler’s design for the Pavillon Notre-Dame — which would be located in the cathedral’s iconic Parvis Square — intends to offer a beacon of hope to Parisians and international visitors while the 850-year-old cathedral is being restored.
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
New York, New York
Centered around the relationship between humans and dogs, American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Museum of the Dog activates the AKC’s mission with a visitor experience that educates, engages, and entertains.
“GameXPloration” at Saint Louis Science Center
St. Louis, Missouri
The St. Louis Science Center’s “GameXPloration” harnesses the idea of gamification and turns the visitor experience into a real-life game that delights and instructs.
Museo del Oro Precolombino
San José, Costa Rica
The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum reimagines the museum experience as a space for learning and interaction, displaying the history and artifacts in a new light.
CBI Art Wall
Charlotte, North Carolina
With the recent popularity of the Light Rail in Charlotte, CBI saw an opportunity to give back to the community by activating its 100-foot white brick wall with local art by Osiris Rain.
INSIGHTS
Blog
Equity and the 20-Minute Neighborhood
To build stronger, more resilient, and equitable communities it’s essential that we leverage the power of research and engage residents.
Blog
Rethinking What Museums Can Do for Communities — and How We Design Them
With the right vision and design experience, museums can be spaces to both educate and entertain audiences in deeper ways, inspiring them to become better stewards of our communities.
Blog
How Inside-Out Design Can Boost the Cultural Experience
Designing spaces that are meant for the public requires a different approach — one that is bespoke, transparent, and equitable.
Blog
A YMCA Facility Reconceptualized to Prioritize Wellness and Community
As a facility that had to be reconceptualized and designed during the pandemic, the Holcomb Family YMCA in Spring, Texas is designed to help members maintain healthy lifestyles and stay connected with the community.
Research
Models for Co-Creation and Partnership with the Black Community
We investigated how Gensler can empower and engage Black communities with inclusive design models of partnership.
Blog
The Future of the Museum Experience: Diverse, Inclusive, and Digital
In this episode of the Gensler Design Exchange podcast, we explore how museums are adapting to changing visitor expectations in an increasingly digital world.
Blog
How Architects and Designers Can Continue to Prioritize Inclusivity
Roger Smith and Lisa Cholmondeley, co-directors of Gensler’s Center for Research on Equity and the Built Environment, talk about designing for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and what lies ahead.
Blog
The Future of Live Music Venues
After analyzing pre-COVID trends, the industry’s pandemic response, and projections of post-vaccine preferences, we’ve identified six design and programmatic modifications that guide the development of the ideal music venue.
Blog
Designing a Black-Owned Gallery to Elevate Artists of Color
At Gallery 90220, a new Black-owned art space in South L.A., Gensler's designers leveraged the power of design to literally create a platform to share the stories of artists of color.
Blog
Design Ideas for the Post-Pandemic Public Library
Public libraries have long served as welcoming, equitable settings that offer community resources, but the pandemic interrupted these services and challenged us to rethink the library experience.
Blog
Blank Canvas: Using Art to Create Community in the Workplace
Whether it is a curated art program, an emerging artists installation, or a dedicated gallery, organizations are finding unique ways to use art as a tool to inspire social change and connect with the community.
Research
A New Model for the Public Library
An exploration into the issues impacting the public library and how design can support its changing role in communities.
Research
Museum Experience Index℠
An investigation into designing a memorable and inclusive museum experience for a multigenerational audience.
CULTURE & MUSEUMS DESIGN TRENDS TO WATCH
Mainstream curation will embrace more diverse artists to reflect the demographics of the surrounding community.
Larger cultural institutions will create new spaces for local talent and art, establishing themselves as platforms to elevate regional dialogue and discussion. Centering exhibitions around art scene celebrities or well-known histories is only one mode of engagement with the public. Capturing emerging talent living in the city will unlock new opportunities to elevate community culture and support overall development in the arts.
An institution’s internal personnel and leadership structure must reflect claims of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Announcing intentions to reform discriminatory practices and promote inclusivity will only be meaningful if institutions support their claims with tangible actions. One step is in the underlying perspectives informing curation, but another, perhaps more crucial, step is in establishing a more diverse chorus of voices in the cultural institution’s structure.
Independent local establishments will present new paths to elevate a community’s spirit and culture.
Independent galleries, performing arts clubs, and other cultural venues embedded in neighborhoods are providing new opportunities for community expression. With flexible spaces that harness easily accessible technology and media, they are offering authentic exhibition experiences that challenge audiences, provoke dialogue, and empower local voices.
Museums must serve more diverse communities than ever. In 2022, for the first time, people of color were just as or more likely to visit museums as white museum-goers.
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Wilkening Consulting & American Alliance of Museums, 2023 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers
CULTURE & MUSEUMS LEADERSHIP
Michael Volk
Culture & Museums Leader, Design Director, Principal
With more than 28 years of experience designing, leading, and executing innovative architecture and urbanism projects in the U.S. and abroad, Michael brings his passion for...
NEWS
In The Media
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Archinect
Archinect Celebrated The Year’s Top Efforts to Further Social Justice, Equity, and Representation in the Industry
The Jackie Robinson Museum and Gensler’s contributions to California College of the Arts to support diversity and innovation are among the top efforts to further social justice and equity in architecture.
December 25, 2022
In The Media
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Interior Design
The International Center of Photography Merges its Museum and School in One Hip Locale
Gensler’s Mark Morton discusses the design strategy which merges its museum and school into one hub “with both downtown edge and 21st century polish.”
November 02, 2022
In The Media
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Fast Company
The Newly Opened Jackie Robinson Museum Focuses on Citizenship and Humanity At Large
Hans Neubert, Digital Experience Design Leader, explains how the Gensler-designed museum celebrates the athlete and also “calls people to action.”
September 20, 2022
In The Media
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Los Angeles Times
How Debbie Allen and Shonda Rhimes Built the New Home of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Debbie Allen and Shonda Rhimes partnered to create the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, designed by Gensler, inside the Rhimes Performing Arts Center.
May 08, 2022
In The Media
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Dezeen
Dezeen Shared a Vision to Reimagine the Flight Test Museum in California
Gensler’s plans feature an expanded wing-shaped roof area, a viewing platform, museum space for historic aircraft, and outdoor exhibition areas.
March 07, 2022
Recognition
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Building Design+Construction
Gensler
2021 Giants 400: #1 Cultural Facilities Architecture and AE Firm
November 19, 2021
In The Media
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Architectural Record
Architectural Record Spotlighted the $482 Million Museum Academy of Motion Pictures Complex
Gensler served as the executive architect on the new Museum Academy of Motion Pictures, working with Renzo Piano Building Workshop to transform a historic landmark structure.
September 21, 2021
In The Media
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Archinect
This Black-Owned and Operated Gallery in South Los Angeles Is Designed to Empower Emerging and Underrepresented Artists of Color
Gensler LA's Kevin Sherrod shares the design story behind Galley 90220, a gallery on a mission to give back to Black and brown artists and residents.
August 05, 2021
In The Media
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The Architect’s Newspaper
The Benton Art Museum at Pomona College Brings Mediterranean Flair
The Architect’s Newspaper featured The Benton Art Museum at Pomona College, designed by the Boston-based Machado Silvetti with Gensler Los Angeles serving as the architect of record.
July 20, 2021
In The Media
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Interior Design Magazine
Interior Design Magazine Takes a Virtual Tour of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Gensler collaborated with Renzo Piano Building Workshop to transform the historic May Company building along L.A.’s Miracle Mile into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
April 12, 2021
In The Media
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Interior Design Magazine
How Gensler Transformed a Former Warehouse to Create the Shonda Rhimes Performing Arts Center, Home of Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Interior Design highlighted how the firm transformed a warehouse in Los Angeles into the Shonda Rhimes Performing Arts Center, home of DADA, to create a place where budding dancers can see people who look just like them.
July 13, 2020
In The Media
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Wallpaper*
Wallpaper Explores How MoMA’s Expansion by DS+R and Gensler Prioritizes Connection
The re-envisioned MoMA boasts a new Creativity Lab, much-needed gallery space, a flagship store, cafe, reconfigured circulation, and an outdoor terrace.
October 14, 2019
Recognition
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Commercial Observer
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice receives 2019 Design of the Year Award.
June 14, 2019