The expansion to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is a unique opportunity to create a culturally significant place of civic pride for the people of New Brunswick. Situated at the converging point of the Cathedral Green, the St. John River, and the City’s Centre, the new gallery embraces its surroundings to foster a more transparent relationship between the gallery and the public. Its modest low form and minimal stone cladding offers a mature, timeless, architecture that integrates effortlessly with its urban context – most notably the Legislative Assembly Building across the street.

The stone ‘box’ that wraps around the existing east wing of the gallery ‘floats’ over the sculpture court on a layer of transparent public program – a café, a multimedia centre, and an artist in residence studio. The upper level houses the art collection with galleries tailored to specific art. Two large windows frame the surroundings and provide visual connections between indoor and out. The ‘gallery on the green’ overlooks the Sculpture Courtyard and provides a vista of Fredericton’s Cathedral Green extending along the St. John River toward the walking bridge and historic Waterloo Row. Visitors entering along the picturesque route from the airport will be welcomed downtown by the cathedral and legislature on the left, and, on the right, the breathtaking Gallery Pavilion with views of its interior spaces extending an invitation to enter the Gallery. The second aperture provides a panoramic view across the St. John River, creating a destination space for Gallery visitors and a premier event space in Fredericton. This room reclaims the Beaverbrook Art Gallery’s original design feature of owning one of the finest river views in Fredericton.

The next phase of addition to the gallery will extend the new wrap around loggia across the streetfront, completing the dialogue with the legislature opposite. This two-story addition will contain galleries, a new formal entrance, gift shop, offices, etc.