New art museum Calder Gardens coming to Ben Franklin Parkway
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The Calder Gardens will be the newest edition to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Rendering courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
A new art museum dedicated to the influential 20th-century Philly-area sculptor Alexander "Sandy" Calder is rising on Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Why it matters: A space to showcase Calder's works will boost the city's reputation as a cultural hub.
State of play: Construction is underway on the $70 million Calder Gardens, located on a 1.8-acre lot at 21st and 22nd Streets across from the Barnes Foundation. The project is expected to open in 2024.
The big picture: The museum is decades in the making.
- The Rendell administration originally proposed the idea to the Calder Foundation in the late 1990s, but the project languished until being revived in recent years, thanks in part to philanthropist Gerry Lenfest and the Philly-based nonprofit Neubauer Family Foundation.
Catch up quick: Calder (1898-1976) is best known for his mobiles — sculptures featuring abstract elements suspended from wires.
- His massive artwork can be seen in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and around the globe, including New York's JFK Airport, Paris, and Mexico City.
Of note: Calder was the scion of a dynasty of sculptors who also left their marks on Philly.
- His grandfather made the sculpture of William Penn atop City Hall and his father designed Logan Square's Swann Memorial Fountain.
Details: The new 18,000-square-foot building will be sheathed in metal cladding and surrounded by a meadow-like, four-season garden created by acclaimed Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf.
- Inside, the floor dips below ground to create high-ceiling spaces where you'll be able to see a constantly rotating array of Calder's works.
- Artwork will also be placed outdoors in the gardens.
1 cool thing: The building will lack a direct route to the front door.
- Visitors must wind along a garden pathway before entering the building.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Rendell administration originally proposed the Calder art museum idea, not the Calder Foundation.