ROANOKE, VA.- The new Art Museum of Western Virginia is ninety-five percent enclosed. Installation of the exterior curtain wall framing for the concourse is underway and is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Installation of the stainless steel roof panels is ongoing for Elements 2, 3, 4, and 6. Element 4 is nearly complete and all elements are expected to be completed in the coming months. Installation of the exterior zinc cladding on the north elevation is fifty percent complete and installation continues to move in a clockwise direction around the building.

The de-icing system for the new Art Museum’s roof surface will be installed by the end of the month. The de-icing system will prevent the freezing of precipitation in the roof gutters of the building through a grid of heated cables.

Hokie Stone has been delivered to the site and its application will begin in the next week. It will be applied to the south elevation exterior wall at the exterior stairwell next to the Roanoke Valley Printworks building. In addition, Hokie Stone will be applied on the interior north wall (the wall of the lobby and the museum store) and on the curved wall under the grand staircase.

The plywood backing and drywall has been installed in Art Venture, the museum’s interactive gallery and art center for children. The majority of the drywall for the first floor spaces, including the education and outreach studio, birthday party room, and preparation, office and mechanical spaces has been installed. Drywall installation and finishing will be completed in February with painting to follow.

Installation of the metal framing for the second floor walls is complete. By February, drywall for all of the gallery spaces will be completed with painting of the ceiling and walls to follow in the spring. Installation of ceramic tile for the second floor restrooms has begun.

On the third floor, metal stud framing is complete for the administrative offices and continues for the remainder of the third floor spaces. Installation of the metal support grid for the ceiling is
nearly complete in the executive director’s office, the library and the boardroom, and it will be followed by the installation of drywall on the ceiling.

Installation of the structural concrete block is complete for the 3-story façade of the building that formerly operated as the Lonesome Dove Bar & Grill and Tony’s Place. Brickwork will be completed next week and will be followed by the installation of the precast for the windowsills and installation of the storefront glass system.

Element 1 houses the atrium and lobby, concourse, museum store, and a portion of the café. Element 2 houses the first floor auditorium, theater and lobby, equipment platforms, primary mechanical spaces, and the second floor art galleries, including the contemporary gallery. Element 3 of the building design houses the library, boardroom, boardroom terrace, director’s office, temporary galleries, Art Venture, and a portion of the café. Element 4 houses back of house mechanical rooms, housekeeping areas, art storage and the catering kitchen, third floor reception and administrative offices, and several small galleries, including the prints and photography, regional decorative arts, Leiber handbag collection, and modernism galleries. Elements 5 and 6 together house the art loading and service docks, new media gallery and American art gallery.

A half scale model of the new Art Museum building’s roof at the intersection of Elements 3 and 6 is on exhibit in the Art Museum’s current facility as part of the Process and Promise in a New Art Museum exhibition. The Art Museum galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is $3 per person Tuesday through Saturday and free on Sundays.