Princeton University's Art Museum

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The new Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) exemplifies the synthesis of architectural vision and structural innovation required to realize an ambitious and highly complex museum program. Designed by Adjaye Associates with Corgan (formerly Cooper Robertson) serving as executive architect, the 146,000-square-foot facility on the site of the former museum is organized as nine interlocking pavilions that nearly double the museum’s size while carefully integrating with the historic campus fabric. The project team included TY Lin (formerly Silman) as structural engineer, Kohler Ronan as MEP engineer, Heintges as facade consultant, and LF Driscoll as construction manager, with major structural trade partners Kinsley Steel, Madison Concrete, and Nordic Structures.

The architectural concept is supported by a sophisticated hybrid structural system composed of structural steel framing, architecturally exposed cast-in-place concrete, and massive glued laminated timber (glulam) elements. Together, these systems enable large column-free gallery spaces, long-span floor plates, and a dramatic three-story Grand Hall that serves as both a public gathering space and a central organizing element. Circulation and transparency are emphasized through dual interior “art walks” that intersect on level one of the museum and connect programs across multiple levels, as well as through multiple ground-level entrances that strengthen the museum’s relationship to the surrounding campus by offering entrance from all four sides of the building. All new construction was carefully sited around the existing Marquand Library, whose interior was renovated while the exterior was retained and reclad with contemporary facade elements to visually and materially integrate it with the expanded museum.

In accordance with the 2018 New Jersey State Building Code, the museum was designed as a Category III structure. Governing design standards included ACI 318-14, AISC 360-16, NDS-2018, and ASCE 7-16. The combination of materials and structural systems pushed the boundaries of each material code and their compatibility with one another where systems interacted.

Structurally, the building is largely steel framed, with lightweight concrete slabs on composite metal deck supported by steel beams and columns. Numerous cast-in-place concrete walls, beams, and slabs are distributed throughout the building, many of which are architecturally exposed and sandblasted to reveal aggregate and provide texture. Exposed glulam beams are prominently featured in gallery ceilings, skylights, and major circulation spaces, where they support roof framing while also contributing warmth and visual rhythm to the interiors.

A defining challenge of the project was its integration with existing structures that were required to remain in service throughout construction. The U-shaped footprint of the new construction wraps around the existing Marquand Library, necessitating careful foundation coordination to minimize disturbance to the existing structure. In addition, new construction was built over existing below-grade spaces at both the northeast and southern portions of the site, including the Marquand Library archive and MER rooms to the northeast and the mechanical sub-basement of the 1989 addition to the south. In both cases, the original columns and foundations had been designed to accommodate future expansion and therefore required minimal reinforcement, though detailed verification and coordination were still essential.

Museum-specific loading requirements significantly influenced the structural design. Gallery spaces were designed for live loads ranging from 150 to 250 psf to accommodate future flexibility for heavy sculptures and installation loads. Fixed hanging points were incorporated into the structure to support suspended artwork in the ceilings, while exterior terraces were provided with dedicated anchor points to allow for tie-down of outdoor installations. These requirements demanded close coordination between structural, architectural, and curatorial considerations.

Subsurface conditions and loading demands led to a combination of foundation systems across the site. Moderate allowable soil bearing pressures of approximately 4,000 psf resulted in the use of large mat foundations beneath heavily loaded concrete walls and steel column clusters. These mat slabs range in thickness from 24 inches to 72 inches and frequently support multiple walls and columns simultaneously. Elsewhere, more conventional foundation systems were employed, including concentric spread footings beneath columns and continuous strip footings beneath load-bearing walls.

Above grade, the superstructure functions as a true hybrid system in which steel, concrete, and timber elements are interwoven to achieve the architectural design intent. Structural steel framing primarily consists of wide-flange beams and columns, supplemented by seven distinct types of custom plate girders used to accommodate long spans, cantilevers, and areas with tight architectural depth constraints. Long-span and cantilevered steel framing occurs throughout the building, requiring careful attention to deflection control, cambering, and connection detailing.
Concrete elements were designed using higher-strength mixes to meet both structural demands and architectural exposure requirements. Normal-weight concrete elements typically utilized a baseline compressive strength of 6,000 psi, while select high-demand elements—including major piers, walls, and long-span or cantilevered beams—were designed with strengths up to 8,000 psi. Lightweight concrete with a compressive strength of 4,000 psi was used for composite slabs on metal deck. Most architecturally exposed concrete surfaces were sandblasted to achieve the desired texture and finish.

All exposed glulam members were fabricated from Nordic Lam+ 24ES/NPG stress-grade black spruce. These members were configured as V-shaped beam pairs with depths ranging from 44 inches to 77 inches. Connections to adjacent steel and concrete elements were achieved using lag screws, bolts, and custom steel brackets. A comprehensive char analysis was performed for all glulam members to verify that required fire-resistance ratings could be achieved without the need for additional fireproofing such as a rated enclosure or spray fireproofing.

The interfaces between different materials and varying framing elevations resulted in complex connections throughout the building. These included massive moment connection plates (1 to 4 inches thick), bolstered slab supports, large embedded steel plates cast into concrete beams and walls (some with U-shaped or L-shaped plan geometries), saddle and bracket connections supporting high or low glulam beams, and bearing plates designed to accommodate large gravity loads while also transferring diaphragm axial forces into concrete shear walls. To address rebar congestion at heavily reinforced junctions, headed reinforcement, mechanical splice couplers, and Grade 80 reinforcing bars were selectively employed.

The lateral-force-resisting system combines perimeter ordinary concentric steel braced frames with ordinary concrete shear walls. Shifts in bracing locations between floors resulted in numerous offsets within the lateral system, triggering overstrength conditions under ASCE 7-16 seismic provisions and increasing demands on diaphragms and steel connections. To address these load transfers, diagonal steel bracing was incorporated within the floor framing to provide the necessary in-plane force continuity.

The superstructure design also required extensive MEP systems coordination to enable museum-quality climate control requirements. Thousands of beam penetrations (both in concrete and steel elements), wall penetrations, floor penetrations, notches, recesses, steps, jogs, etc. were coordinated between the trades via an intensive BIM coordination process during construction.

The building facades further contributed to the structural complexity of the project. Much of the perimeter gallery facade is clad in sawtooth precast concrete panels, each weighing over 30,000 pounds. Extensive deflection coordination was required, particularly where glazed systems are inserted beneath and between the heavy precast panels. Ten dedicated sheets of deflection diagrams were developed as part of the contract documents to address overall movement and differential movements between floors under pattern live loading. In areas where precast panels are supported between floors over glazing—most notably at the airy “lenses” found between the largely opaque pavilion galleries—secondary steel tube frames were introduced to resist gravity and wind loads of the facade panels. These tube frames were installed using slotted connections at the top to better isolate the glazing and secondary framing from movement of the primary structure above.

One of the most structurally intricate areas of the building is the third-floor restaurant and grand stair zone. The architectural intent for this space required a large clear span at the second floor, necessitating that the third-floor restaurant framing be suspended from the roof structure above. Eight 2½-inch-diameter solid steel architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) rods hang the third-floor framing from two 48-inch-deep plate girders spanning 81 feet between columns and girders at the roof level. This area of the building also incorporates an architecturally exposed concrete grand stair with bronze-framed guardrails, a custom cast-in-place concrete hearth, multiple column transfers, glulam framing supported by orthogonally bent W18 steel beams to accommodate slab elevation changes, and cambered W40x593 beams designed to minimize long-span deflections.

The Grand Hall serves as the museum’s signature space, rising three stories and accommodating a variety of public uses. Structurally, it is defined by 24-inch-thick cast-in-place concrete slabs spanning to a ring of concrete walls at the first floor, and flying buttress-style “blade walls” cantilevering from the second floor. Massive concrete beams—some measuring up to 72 inches wide by 72 inches deep—ring the second- and third-floor openings, providing the stiffness required to control deflections while creating deep soffits that visually layer the space. The hall is capped with glulam beams supporting a skylight that introduces natural light and warmth into the interior. Lighting and MEP systems are seamlessly integrated into the concrete structure through carefully coordinated notches, recesses, and web penetrations.

Some of the most significant structural challenges were encountered at the west side pavilion galleries. These galleries feature long cantilevers in multiple directions and asymmetrical concrete wall configurations supporting the volumes above. The second-floor steel framing beneath each gallery consists of W33 and W36 beams (averaging 250-300 lb/ft) and 36-inch deep plate girders, while Pavilion 2 includes a 52-inch-wide by 125-inch-deep cantilevered concrete beam supporting a 44-foot cantilever. Six rows of fourteen #10 reinforcing bars were required at both the top and bottom of the beam to control deflections and meet strength demands.

Temporary shoring and construction sequencing were critical to the successful execution of the project, particularly in areas such as the Grand Hall, west side galleries, glulam ceilings, and other zones with intertwined steel and concrete framing. Close coordination with the shoring engineer (Plan B Engineering), as well as with the construction manager and structural subcontractors, was required to ensure diaphragm continuity, control deflections, and maintain compatibility between site logistics, schedule, and structural performance. These challenges were further compounded by the extensive MEP coordination required to achieve museum-quality climate control, which necessitated hundreds of penetrations through beams, walls, and slabs.

As the new construction portion of the project neared completion, the last step for the complex was to unify the exterior of the last remaining existing structure on the site (the Marquand Library) with the new building. The primary scope of this work consisted of recladding the building in thinner precast concrete panels and modern glazing, along with targeted structural infills and adjustments to rooftop massing and transparency.

Following art installation, the Princeton University Art Museum officially opened to the public in October 2025. The completed museum has quickly become a vibrant destination for visitors of all ages, showcasing a collection of more than 117,000 artworks and artifacts. After more than a decade of planning and design, Princeton University and the broader public have gained a new architectural and cultural landmark at the heart of the campus. ■

About the Author

Jason Tipold is a Principal at TY Lin, in the NYC office of the Buildings Sector (formerly Silman). He has been a structural engineer at TY Lin/Silman since 2007 and has a wide range of experience in both new construction and existing buildings. (jason.tipold@tylin.com)