Peabody Essex Museum Expansion, PEM Massachusetts, Salem Building, Architecture, Architect
Peabody Essex Museum
New Building in Salem, MA, USA – design by Richard Olcott / Ennead Architects
22 Dec 2016
Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) Expansion
Location: Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Peabody Essex Museum Breaks Ground
Design: Richard Olcott / Ennead Architects

New York, NY, December 21, 2016 ? Ennead Architects broke ground last week on construction of the expansion of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), one of the fastest-growing art museums in North America, located in Salem, Massachusetts. Part of one of the largest art museum campaigns in the country, the expansion includes the addition of a 40,000 SF wing designed by Ennead partner Richard Olcott, along with 17,500 SF of renovation to adjacent structures. When the project is complete, gallery space will be increased by 15% for a total of 100,000 SF, ranking PEM among the top 20 art museums in the country.
Occupying the northwest corner of the museum complex, the new wing with its striking glass and stone façade will adjoin East India Marine Hall to the east, the Asian Export Art Wing to the south, and a new 5,000 SF garden to the west. The wing consists of a three-story, state-of-the-art gallery space connected to the existing museum through a two-story, glass-enclosed atrium. This naturally lit, interior atrium brings the historic Salem street fabric into the museum while providing new space for circulation, respite and ev...