Gilbane Building Company Awarded Construction of The New Norton

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Gilbane Building Company has been selected by the Norton Museum of Art to manage the comprehensive expansion and renovation of its building and campus in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida.

The signature project designed by Foster + Partners consists of the design and construction of an extension to the museum to accommodate increased gallery and exhibitions space, as well as provide more educational and program space and dramatically re-orient the museum entrance from the south to the west along the main thoroughfare of South Dixie Highway. Construction is anticipated to start in the summer of 2016 and be completed by the end of 2018.

The scope of services will include differentiating the exterior of the building with signature architectural elements — articulating glazing, structural glazing, architectural precast concrete panes, reflection ponds and architectural roofing elements. The New Norton’s design will add approximately 50,000 square feet of program space with a new 200-seat, state-of-the-art auditorium, meeting rooms, new entrance space with 44-foot high ceilings in the Great Hall, arrival forecourt, restaurant, 15,000 square feet of new gallery space and support spaces. The project will also include the upgrade and re-use of approximately 60,000 square feet of existing space and demolition of approximately 35,000 square feet.

“The construction of the museum is highly technical and challenging,” said Tim Hensey, vice president of Gilbane Building Company. “The team we have dedicated to this project has exceptional depth of experience in dealing with the complex issues of constructing this facility. We are truly honored to be part of the growth of the Norton Museum.”

The Norton has some of the nation’s premier collections of American, Chinese, Contemporary, European and Photographic art. It has served as a cultural centerpiece for art in South Florida since its founding in 1941.

Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.