Peabody Essex Museum Renovation & Expansion

Overview

With roots dating back to 1799, the Peabody Essex Museum is the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States with over one million pieces in its collection. 

We provided structural design services to Ennead Architects for the museum's most recent renovation and expansion, including a new 40,000-square-foot wing comprising galleries, a loading dock and a south-facing Asian Garden, as well as renovations to the existing Asian Export Art Wing and East India Marine Hall. 

Highlights

• Rising three stories and adding a handsome façade to the Essex Street pedestrian way, the new wing was designed to clarify, unify and enhance the older sections of the museum while providing new galleries dedicated to the presentation of portions of the museum’s extensive collection.
• The design highlight of the new wing of galleries also includes the renovation of the west façade of the East India Marine Hall, the first museum building constructed in 1825. A new two-story glass atrium was created to offer fresh perspectives on this National historical landmark. The new wing of galleries occupies space in the existing Asian Garden.
• The Asian Garden was relocated to a new south-facing site, becoming an important design focus at the western end of the museum.