Nelson Fine Arts Museum and Cultural Complex

Click on thumbnails to view larger images

Nelson Fine Arts Museum and Cultural Complex

Location: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Architects: Antoine Predock, AIA

This theater and museum complex, designed by Antoine Predock, 2006 AIA Gold Medal recipient, sits adjacent to the historic Frank Lloyd Wright theater where night time activity is high with a full season of concerts and performances. Exterior seating and colonnades allows for shade in the daytime and protected nighttime use. The seating area is used for film viewing on the rear-building facade. The adjacent lighting was designed to prevent interference with film viewing while still maintaining maximum safety.

The lighting design responsibilities included the Museum and Concert Hall and all public spaces, both interior and exterior. The uniquely hot climatic conditions were carefully considered for both daylighting and artificial illumination systems. Interior exhibit lighting and sophisticated controls were designed to be able to accommodate the museum's continuously evolving exhibits. Of major importance to the project was the visual focus created by the exterior illumination, giving prominence to the Cultural Complex in the setting of the campus and greater community at large.