The Frick Collection

Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick engaged Carrère and Hastings to build his family a home in New York City, and the building was complete in 1914. In 1935, the late Gilded Age mansion was converted by John Russell Pope from the Frick’s private residence to a public museum consisting of exceptional galleries and gardens. A separate building on 71st Street was erected in the same year to accommodate the growth of the Frick Art Reference Library. Today, the institution is recognized as one of the world’s premier museums and research institutions. Kohler Ronan is pleased to have provided comprehensive MEP/FP and technology design, as well as energy analysis, for the expansion and enhancement to The Frick Collection facilities, starting with the master plan.

First Major Upgrade

The project marked the first comprehensive upgrade to the Frick’s buildings in more than eighty years, during which time its collections and public program offerings had grown significantly. The plan honored the unique residential character of the Frick, the preservation of which was a guiding tenet. It allowed visitors to enjoy the famed permanent collection galleries as they always have done, with enhancements permitting public access to the second floor of the former home. At the same time, it addressed a range of pressing institutional needs: to create critical new resources for exhibitions, conservation, education, and public programs, while also upgrading visitor amenities and overall accessibility. The design fostered a seamless flow throughout the museum galleries, library, and public spaces. The institution’s long-term sustainability, including its ability to advance its mission, care for and present its growing collection, was a critical feature as well. Therefore, underground and behindthe- scene facilities were within the project’s scope as well, and infrastructure upgrades incorporated MEP/FP, IT infrastructure, electronic access control, video surveillance, lighting, and building envelope.

Photo credit: Renderings Courtesy of Selldorf Architects