Muscarelle Museum of Art Expansion

Growth with Purpose: Expanding the Muscarelle for Art, Learning, and Community

Located on William & Mary’s historic campus, the expanded Muscarelle Museum of Art brings new life to one of the country’s oldest campus-based art collections—established in 1732 with the university’s first gift of art and now encompassing nearly 8,000 works.

Originally designed by architect Carlton Abbott in 1983, the museum has long served as a research and teaching hub for the university, offering space for collaboration with faculty and staff across disciplines while providing students with opportunities for internships, research, and hands-on study. With this major expansion and renovation, the Muscarelle becomes a dynamic, state-of-the-art regional venue for exhibitions, learning, and community engagement.

The new wing—named the Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts—was designed to complement both the existing 1983 building and the university’s signature Georgian and Colonial Revival-style architecture, as well as the broader campus context. Rising three stories along the hillside, the expansion enhances the original one-and-a-half-story structure. Its clean lines and sharp angles create a modern, symmetrical form—an abstract, almost butterfly-like interpretation of the original building. A façade of regional brick, dark metal, and glass ties the new and existing structures together, creating a unified exterior and a contemporary take on the interplay of transparent and opaque elements found in the original building.

Collaborating closely with the university and project partners, LaBella played a key role in delivering the vision for this transformative project. The revitalized facility strengthens the museum’s role as both a cultural anchor and valuable resource for students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community.

A Reimagined Interior Experience

The expansion features a new double-height entrance hall, where a grand atrium welcomes visitors and serves as a central hub of the museum—anchoring flexible galleries, educational spaces, and event venues. An open stairwell leads from this space to upper-level galleries and classrooms.

The new exhibition spaces feature vertical lance windows that bring in controlled, adjustable natural light. Movable partitions allow for flexible layouts and dynamic viewing experiences, while glass-lined hallways between galleries double as light-filled sculpture display areas and offer views of the surrounding campus and arboretum.

An outdoor plaza—framed by the junction of the new wing (left) and the original building (right)—extends the museum’s footprint, creating space for sculpture displays and pre-event programming.

Defined by sharp lines and clean geometry, the angular courtyard guides visitors inward to the museum’s new entrance.

Supporting People, Programs, and Possibility

Designed With People in Mind

The expansion prioritizes visitor comfort and wellness. Galleries and seminar rooms use controlled daylight to create bright, glare-free environments. Mechanical systems are engineered for acoustic performance and indoor air quality, ensuring a pleasant atmosphere. Social spaces—like the café and outdoor terraces—offer opportunities for relaxation, contemplation, and social interaction.

Broadening Access to the Arts

The addition creates accessible, inclusive spaces for cultural events, education, and engagement. Features such as seminar rooms, a multipurpose hall, a museum café, and outdoor areas invite a diverse range of visitors to engage meaningfully with the arts. The museum enriches student experiences by showcasing global art traditions—from Da Vinci to African sculpture—reinforcing the university’s commitment to accessible, interdisciplinary learning and community connection.

Built for the Future

Designed for long-term adaptability, the museum accommodates evolving educational and curatorial needs. Modular partitions, flexible lighting, modern AV systems, climate controls, and hanging systems support rotating exhibitions and diverse programming. Behind-the-scenes infrastructure and reconfigurable service zones ensure that galleries, seminar rooms, and event spaces can be easily updated—preserving the museum’s role as a vital resource for generations to come.

Sustainable by Design

Sustainability was a key focus throughout design and construction. Structural components of the original building were preserved to reduce waste. New materials were selected for long-term durability, recycled content, and local sourcing, aligning with LEED Gold standards and campus-wide sustainability efforts.

Landscaping features native and adaptive planting to reduce irrigation demands and promote biodiversity. The site’s natural topography was leveraged to minimize grading and stormwater runoff.

In partnership with a local utility provider. William & Mary also installed a nearby solar array—dedicating a portion of its clean energy output to support the Muscarelle Museum’s energy needs.