Get a first up-close look at Penn State’s new Palmer Museum of Art with virtual 3D video tour
Penn State recently offered its most immersive look yet at the new Palmer Museum of Art with a virtual fly-through animation of the building, which is set to open in spring 2024.
The two-and-a-half minute video — created by the Palmer Museum in collaboration with Brooklyn Digital Foundry and building designer Allied Works — showcases what visitors can expect, both inside and outside the museum. Renderings of the $85 million museum’s exterior have already been released, but the video tour is the most complete look yet at the 71,254-square-foot building and what the interior will look like.
Construction near the Arboretum, the site of the new museum, started last July.
“The fly-through animation brings the essence of the new museum building to life and reveals the strategic goal to connect art, nature and architecture,” museum director Erin M. Coe said in a written statement. “It accurately captures many of the distinguishing architectural features and finishes, including the beautifully variegated sandstone cladding, the metal lenses on the windows and the interlocking and meandering design of the new building that both contains works of art and frames views of nature, providing visitors with a sense of wonder and wellbeing as they journey through the Museum, as if they were strolling through the grounds of the Arboretum.”
According to a news release, the new Palmer will double the museum’s exhibition space to 20 galleries, improve accessibility, add educational and event spaces, install a museum store and cafe, and bring natural light into the facility. Penn State officials previously said they expect to nearly triple annual attendance from 35,000 to 95,000 while creating more job opportunities and more visiting opportunities for K-12 students.
The current Palmer Museum of Art, located less than a mile from the new location, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As part of that, the museum will feature several upcoming exhibitions that focus on both the history and future of Palmer — including one titled, “Looking at Who We Are: The Palmer at Fifty” and another titled, “Designed for the Future: The New Palmer Museum of Art at the Arboretum.” Both exhibitions will run from Sept. 23 through Dec. 18.
Penn State has previously said it views the new museum as part of a “cultural gateway,” a first step in creating a hub that could one day include a planetarium, conservatory and performance space.
