August 29, 2016

Pre-bid meeting today on $45M upgrades for Asian Art Museum

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SAM released this image in June showing the expansion, but a spokesperson said the plan is being revised.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the office of BNBuilders, the general contractor/construction manager for the $45 million renovation and expansion of the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.

BNBuilders' office is at 2601 Fourth Ave. in Seattle.

The renovation will include updating heating and cooling systems, seismic work, and modernizing art handling and storage.

The museum is exploring options for a 7,000-square-foot expansion at the southeast corner that would include a 2,000-square-foot gallery adjacent to a glass-enclosed atrium with views of the park.

The museum is seeking proposals by Sept. 1 for a mechanical contractor/construction manager for fire protection, HVAC and plumbing, according to a notice in the Aug. 25 DJC.

A museum official said the Asian Art Museum would close at the end of February 2017, and construction should start later that year.

LMN Architects is designing the project, which is targeting at least LEED silver certification.

Here are the other team members: JMB Consulting Group, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Rushing, Sparling and Coughlin Porter Lundeen.

The 53,800-square-foot museum opened in 1933 as a home for Seattle Art Museum, and Asian art made up its founding collection. After SAM moved downtown in the early 1990s, the Volunteer Park museum reopened in 1994 to house the Asian art collection.

The art moderne-style building was designed by Seattle architect Carl Gould and is listed as a city landmark. It has received a number of modest additions over the years, including a new gallery in 1955, and a stairway and elevator in 1969. Recent improvements include a new roof in 2000, interior upgrades in 2001, fire system upgrades in 2006, and roof and seismic upgrades in 2007.

In addition to requiring a master use permit from the Department of Construction and Inspections, the project will need approval from the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board before it can begin.