ROANOKE, VA.-The Art Museum's new 81,000 square foot facility has been designed by emerging Los Angeles architect Randall Stout, principal of Randall Stout Architects, Inc. and an internationally admired proponent of sustainable “green” architecture. The building is a dramatic composition of flowing, layered forms in steel, patinated zinc and high performance glass that pay sculptural tribute to the famous mountains that provide the city’s backdrop and shape the region's spirit. The new facility will be constructed on Salem Avenue, between Market Street and Williamson Road, at one of the most visible intersections in downtown Roanoke.

The new building will house the Art Museum's permanent collection and feature greatly expanded exhibition spaces and education spaces, including a larger Art Venture, the Art Museum's interactive gallery and art center for children and families. It also will incorporate a multi-purpose auditorium, a flexible theater/programming space, a book and gift shop, a library and study center, an art studio, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating. A dramatic, spacious atrium will provide a meeting place for the community, as well as a premier downtown venue for special events and receptions.

The new facility will better accommodate the Art Museum’s growing collection and enable the Art Museum to meet the demand for its education and outreach programs. The Art Museum will break ground for the new facility in the fall of 2005, with a planned opening three years later in the fall of 2008.