Operators of the St. Louis Art Museum, a facility built as part of the 1904 World's Fair, took a decidedly global approach when planning for a 200,000-sq-ft addition, pairing London- and U.S.-based architects to execute a modernist design.
Concrete abounds in the new East Building, with display spaces capped by a 40,000-sq-ft cast architectural coffered ceiling. In all, crews poured in place more than 1,600 cu yd of concrete to form the deeply recessed assembly, including a 48-in.-tall framework for rectangular coffers that filter natural light from above. As natural lighting changes, so does the visitors' experience of the concrete-clad facility.