ENR 2024 New York Best Projects
Award of Merit Cultural/Worship: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Photo courtesy Wendel
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Buffalo, N.Y.
Award of Merit
Submitted by: Wendel
Owner: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Construction Manager: Gilbane Building Co.
Lead Design: Cooper Robertson
Structural/Civil Engineer: Wendel
MEP Engineer: Buro Happold
Located within historic Delaware Park, the project upgraded the original museum building with 43,500 sq ft of renovated spaces and expanded it with 67,000 net sq ft of new space and 60,000 sq ft of underground parking.
A glass bridge that curves around a grove of oak trees to connect the building to existing ones allows those passing by to view some artwork from the exterior. A courtyard was covered with an installation that creates an indoor space for gatherings, concerts and art displays. A surface parking lot was converted into a great lawn.
Early in the project, a 100-plus-year-old collapsing municipal combined sewer was discovered under the museum courtyard. Blockages from root intrusions created backups upstream.
The team worked around tight tolerances to jack and bore a steel casing and new carrier pipe under the museum while avoiding an existing footer and utilities. Unexpected groundwater seepage into lower elevations complicated deep excavation by only allowing the team to work when it was dry.
A groundwater collections system was implemented as well as a new pump station to alleviate hydrostatic pressure on the foundation. The unique station had to be designed with consideration taken to the minimal groundwater seepage rates expected in addition to the impacts of sulfate-laden groundwater.
The three-year duration project was completed over budget, but its cost was not disclosed.
