Photo: Robert Hubner / WSU Photo Services
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
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Design Principal
Jim Olson
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Principal
Steven Rainville
The new Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University brings art to the forefront of university life – and the entire Inland Northwest region. Design Principal Jim Olson sought to create a building with bold visual appeal that would engage and inspire. The resulting reflective façade, crafted to match WSU’s signature crimson red, establishes the museum as a beacon for the arts in the heart of the Pullman, Washington campus.
The design consists of two distinct parts: the first serves as an informal entry to the museum, functioning as a flexible, casual space for hosting temporary exhibits and events. The second space is the “Crimson Cube.” This climate-controlled space houses the formal galleries and is enveloped by the crimson façade. The mirrored glass façade reflects and weaves the building into the campus as much as it announces the presence of art, creating a visual interplay that is always changing. Intended to inspire and engage – much like the art housed within – the “Crimson Cube” reflects sky, campus and students themselves.
Art is about creativity and the world needs creative thinking now more than ever. When students see themselves reflected in this building, they’ll see their lives through the lens of art.Jim Olson, FAIA
Team
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Design Principal
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Principal
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Project Manager
Stephen Yamada-Heidner
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Architectural Staff
Scott Viloria
William Franklin
Publications
2020
“乔丹·施尼策艺术博物馆 / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily China, 13 Jan. 2020. Web.
“Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.” Architecture & Culture, Feb. 2020, 164-171. Print.
2019
“2018 Building of the Year.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 9 Feb. 2019. Web.
“Building of the Year Award: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 26 Feb. 2019, 16. Print.
“Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.” Archello, 14 May 2019. Web.
“Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University.” Architizer, 13 Jun. 2019. Web.
“The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily, 25 Oct. 2019. Web.
2018
Bauer, Jennifer K. “A Refuge For Inspiration.” Moscow Pullman Daily News, 5 April 2018, 3, 5. Print.
Gallow, Lauren and Steven Rainville. “WSU art museum a crimson ‘jewel box’ in the heart of campus.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 16 Nov. 2017, 3, 122. Print.
“Grand Opening.” Art & Antiques, April 2018, 30. Print.
Heyman, Stephen. “Arresting Developments.” Elle Décor, 1 March 2018, 52. Print.
Mobley, Karen. “Washington State University’s New Art Museum.” March/April 2018, 24-30. Print.
Nadauld, Taylor. “WSU Community Reacts To New Crimson Cube.” Moscow Pullman Daily News, 8 April 2018, 1, 6. Print.
Sun, Rachel. “Art venue beckons.” The Spokesman-Review, 7 April 2018, 1, 5. Print.
2017
McGarry, Kevin. “Mexico: A New Zen By the Sea.” Pin-Up, Sp/Su 2017 Issue 22, 206-209. Print.
2014
Rogers, Adrian. “Exhibit puts inner workings on display.” The Spokesman-Review, 23 May 2014. Web.
2013
“OKA to design WSU museum expansion.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 6 March 2013. Web.
Stinson, Debby. “Architect Jim Olson to design Museum of Art.” WSU News, 6 March 2013. Web.
1996
Ivy, Robert. “Powerful Forms for a Hard-Working Town.” Architectural Record, Oct. 1996, 70-77. Print.
