The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is an art school and museum comprising two historic buildings – the 1876 Landmark Building and the adjacent 1916 Hamilton Building, which was once an automobile assembly facility. The Landmark Building, designed by renowned Philadelphia architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt, is the first structure in the U.S. specifically designed for fine arts instruction and exhibition in a consolidated facility.

Considered one the finest examples of late Victorian architecture, the Landmark Building had been maintained and stabilized but had not been altered from the original function or architectural condition. Our master plan and subsequent renovation accommodates a growing program within a fixed site, consolidates inefficient support spaces and administrative functions, develops new assembly spaces, and reinforces the image and culture of the institution to the public, all while preserving PAFA’s historic structures. A key principle of the work is to expose the processes of art-making, collecting, and exhibiting for both students and the wider community. We provided master planning; architecture; interiors; electrical and mechanical engineering; acoustics, audiovisual; information transport; life safety & security, lighting; preservation; and theater technical design services.