Light in Nature: North Carolina Museum of Art: Fisher Island House - Softcover

Phifer, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1935935097 ISBN 13: 9781935935094

Publisher: ORO Editions, 2011

Synopsis

Inside the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), the light of day and lush surrounding fields have a presence unusual in institutional galleries for art. Overhead, hundreds of elliptical oculi in long parallel vaults bathe the museum interior in even, full-spectrum daylight, modulated by layers that filter out damaging rays. In this gently luminous setting, against pure white walls, the art--including a masterful Giotto altarpiece--takes on heightened immediacy and vividness. A departure from traditional hierarchies, the museum is, in some respects, a single 65,000-square-foot room. Within this spatial continuum, a succession of wall planes, many freestanding without reaching the ceiling, delineate separate galleries. Instead of fully enclosed rooms, each gallery has at least one open corner, inviting fluid movement.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, is an unusual gallery for art. In this luminous setting, the art takes on heightened immediacy and vividness. For gallery-goers and fine art critics and enthusiasts, this book offers a comprehensive, inside look at the layout and stunning architecture of the museum. A succession of wall planes delineate separate galleries. Each gallery has at least one open corner, inviting fluid movement. The museum's 164-acre grounds are non-chronological, prescribing no specific route. Visitors are encouraged to wander from Renaissance to Classical to the Rodin Court, prompting unforeseen visual connections.

About the Author:

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1953, Thomas Phifer attended Clemson University, graduating with a Master of Architecture. He founded Thomas Phifer and Partners in 1996, after working previously as senior design partner at Richard Meier & Partners, and as a senior design associate at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates.

About this edition

• Publisher: ORO Editions
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1935935097
• ISBN 13: 9781935935094
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 140