The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VFMA) in Richmond has selected the Gilbane Building Company as the Construction Manager at Risk, charged with planning and supervising construction of the museum’s upcoming renovation and expansion project, the largest expansion in its history.
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 began its transformative expansion and renovation project, led by the international architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup, in Jun. 2021. Tentatively scheduled for completion in 2027, the project consists of adding the new James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing II with more than 15,000 m2 (170,000 sf) and renovating 4180 m2 (45,000 sf) of existing spaces, while maintaining 1.62 ha (four acres) of green space in the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden.
As a Construction Manager at Risk, Gilbane will work alongside VMFA 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. The goal of working with the Construction Manager at Risk model is to reduce time, money, and effort by developing the most cost-effective and feasible building design before construction begins.
Currently, VMFA has awarded a contract to Gilbane to perform preconstruction services. A separate contract for the construction work phase remains contingent upon the parties reaching agreement on certain terms later in the process.
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.
Nationally, Gilbane, one of the largest construction firms in the U.S., has worked on projects such as the Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences; Cleveland Museum of Art; Corning Museum of Glass; Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art; and The Norton Museum of Art.
“Gilbane has proven experience managing major, state-of-the-art museum construction projects, making them an ideal choice for supervising the expansion and renovations launched by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,” said Alex Nyerges, VMFA’s director and CEO. “Our shared values of innovation, sustainability, inclusion, and collaboration are fundamental to the museum’s project. We are thrilled to have Gilbane on board.”
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