Desiring to create a public
sanctuary featuring his carved and painted mural “The Awakening”,
artist Jean-Claude Gaugy acquired this 1947 modified
Quonset hut in downtown Santa Fe.
As an historically ‘Contributing’
structure, its exterior is restored
without change.
The resulting
design—a box within a box—inserts
the new steel frame sanctuary, as an independent volume within the existing
industrial sash and masonry perimeter.
In order to create an uninterrupted
view of sanctuary’s brightly colored
artwork, the gallery lighting and
environmental systems are located
discretely within in a colonnade of six
vertical floor stanchions. Adjacent
spaces provide a new public entry,
circulation and a gift shop.
A new
adjacent building, designed to
complement the sanctuary structure,
houses the non-profit foundation’s
administrative offices and public
restrooms.
