Birdseye and Brian J. Mac Wrap Southern Vermont Arts Center Extension in Corten Steel
In Manchester, the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) has unveiled a new museum extension spanning 12,000 square feet, crafted by architect Brian J. Mac and the firm Birdseye. This $14.5 million development enhances Yester House, a Colonial Revival summer retreat built in 1917, by providing additional gallery and storage areas. Initially, the Corten steel exterior faced criticism for its stark contrast with the historic structure. Inspired by the natural beauty of Vermont, Mac designed the expansion to be partially buried, preserving the main house's integrity. The addition includes two outdoor spaces, an 80-foot catwalk, a white Vermont marble staircase, and local white oak interiors. The exhibition, For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection, features 300 paintings from the 20th century. This marks Birdseye and Mac's inaugural institutional project.
Key facts
- The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) in Manchester opened a 12,000-square-foot museum extension designed by Birdseye and Brian J. Mac.
- The $14.5 million project adds gallery and storage space to Yester House, a 1917 Colonial Revival building designed by Murphy & Dana.
- The extension is clad in Corten steel, which initially faced objections from donors and the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation.
- The addition is placed on the steep downhill behind the house, with the lower floor half-buried to preserve the main house's character.
- An 80-foot-long catwalk extends from the restaurant's outdoor terrace into the landscape, offering views of the Green Mountains.
- The interior features a white Vermont marble staircase leading to lower-level exhibition galleries, classrooms, and storage.
- The exhibition For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection, a rotating display of 300 20th-century paintings, is at the heart of the new wing.
- The project is Birdseye and Mac's first institutional commission.
Entities
Artists
- Brian J. Mac
- Charles N. Lowrie
- Hugh Newell Jacobsen
- Alvar Aalto
- William Morgan
- Lyman Orton
Institutions
- Southern Vermont Arts Center
- Birdseye
- Vermont Division of Historic Preservation
- Murphy & Dana
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- University of Detroit
- Brown University
Locations
- Manchester
- Vermont
- United States
- Mount Equinox
- Green Mountains
- Columbus
- Ohio
- Ann Arbor
- Michigan
- Providence
- Rhode Island