A giant jewel box, lit by the sky
When officials began planning the future of the Harvard Art Museums several years ago, they envisioned vibrant teaching and learning centers that would foster new paths of inquiry and understanding for 21st-century art lovers and curious community members alike. A new 205,000-square-foot museum building will open Nov. 16, bringing together the Fogg Museum, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, and the Busch-Reisinger Museum under a magnificent, shining glass roof designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. In addition to 40 percent more gallery space and state-of-the-art climate controls, the renovated and expanded facility will encourage visitors to engage with Harvard’s vast collections in fresh, dynamic ways. “We want to make our collections far more accessible than they have been in the past,” said Thomas W. Lentz, the Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard Art Museums. “We want to put them to work for all students, faculty, and the community, not simply...