Gilbane Building Company to Manage Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Expansion, Renovation Construction

Gilbane Building Company has been selected by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as the Construction Manager at Risk, charged with planning and supervising construction of the museum’s upcoming renovation and expansion project, which includes the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing II, the largest expansion in its history.

The company will be responsible for coordinating and supervising the construction of the museum’s new, additional wing and renovations to existing spaces, including VMFA’s Leslie Cheek Theater.

As a Construction Manager at Risk, the company will work alongside the museum and the design team during the design and preconstruction process to help evaluate costs, provide value management options and determine constructability, as well as serve as the general contractor during building construction.

VMFA began its transformative expansion and renovation project, led by SmithGroup, in June 2021. Tentatively scheduled for completion in 2027, the project consists of adding the new James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing II of nearly 170,000 square feet and renovating 45,000 square feet of existing spaces, while maintaining four acres of green space in the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden.

The project will enable visitors to experience a seamless journey through the collections in VMFA’s new wing, which will house contemporary art, African art, American art, a new suite of galleries for rotating special exhibitions and a special-events space. The expansion and renovation will also enable the museum to display more art, welcome more visitors and provide more enjoyment.

VMFA’s expansion and renovations will be informed by Virginians. Since kicking off the project, the museum has been actively engaging participants throughout the commonwealth to better understand the visitor experience and learn more about the public’s vision for the future of the institution.

The design process will be complete, and final architectural renderings are anticipated, in winter 2023. The museum’s campus will then be prepared for construction, which is tentatively expected to begin in fall 2024. VMFA will remain open to visitors during construction.