ALL MASTER PLANNING INSTITUTIONAL RESIDENTIAL

THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

The landscape site design for the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, CT both accommodates the display of contemporary art and is meant to inspire the creation of these works. A series of courtyards and clearings negotiate a significant change in topography across the site, link architectural program, expand museum programming space, and organize pedestrian circulation. An outdoor amphitheater of granite risers and lawn treads step down to a paved entry court, connecting a new museum building to the existing historic house which once housed the collection.

Behind the museum, a half-acre sculpture garden is an outdoor gallery display space reflecting the vernacular landscape of orchard trees, stonewalls and rolling land typical of the surrounding area. This landscape of sculpted topography hosts festivals, event tents, open-air classrooms, sculptural displays and museum performances.