Charleston Museum of Art
The second project of the Charleston studio explores an urban setting very different from the first.
Charleston, South Carolina is filled with churches across its urban landscape. In fact, it is known as the Holy City due to the church bell towers that make up most of its sky-line.
St. Phillips Church is the site’s signature icon. This site also includes Charleston’s oldest building, the powder magazine museum. Directly south of the intervention, is the church’s graveyard that extends a quarter mile. All these elements make this particular site contextually sensitive.
The Charleston museum of art is meant to attract visitors to observe art exhibitions and also accomodate pedestrians walking along the historic area. An outdoor plaza at museum’s center filters visitors coming from the north and south. Like many of Charleston’s cultural centers, the museum’s identity is held by its outdoor community area; which can be shared by those visting the powder magazine, church, or those simply walking along chirch street.
