The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow is planning a major overhaul, slated for completion by 2019. The ambitious redesign aims to visually unify all of the museum’s nearly 30 discordant buildings, and add new underground galleries which will effectively double the museum’s footprint, according to Russia Beyond the Headlines.
Founded more than 100 years ago by Ivan Tsvetaev, the museum first opened its doors to the public in 1912, and its collection has grown ever since. Today, it boasts the largest collection of Western European art in Russia, with masterpieces by Tiepolo and Rembrandt, and a world-renowned collection of Impressionists.
The extension—dubbed the “Museum Town” project—was first managed by architect Norman Foster, who pulled out in 2013. After a competition process in 2014, Yuri Grigoryan and Meganom won with their unifying concept. Their design will create a cohesive complex that will tie in all of the separate buildings and their surroundings, and is meant to increase pedestrian traffic while also making the museum more accessible to people with disabilities.
The first improvements will become noticeable in the new year, when Volkhonka Street, where the museum is located, will be turned into a green boulevard with a separate pedestrian zone.
Once the hive of interconnected edifices is completed, the museum, which currently averages three million visitors a year, hopes to triple its visitors.