If you are ever at Cornell University, you have the chance to visit the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, also known simply as the “Johnson Museum” or the “Cornell Art Museum.” Admission is free, so you will be able to explore this unique structure inside and out.
The design of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum is breathtaking, but it is also unusual. Sometimes people refer to it as the “Piano Building” or even the “Sewing Machine,” a reference to its striking cantilevered layout. While the design is beautiful and captures the imagination, it also serves a very specific purpose, as we will discuss momentarily.
The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Site and Its Challenges
The Herbert F. Johnson Museum is the work of architect I. M. Pei, who is most famous for designing the iconic pyramid located at the Grand Louvre in Paris. If you are wondering, yes, the name “Johnson” does refer to Herbert Fisk Johnson of S.C. Johnson & Sons, who was the museum’s main benefactor. Indeed, Johnson had a deep appreciation of cutting-edge architecture; in the 30s, he commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design the streamline moderne masterpiece, the Johnson Wax Headquarters.
Returning to the Johnson Museum at Cornell, the trustees wanted to make sure the new structure would complement and showcase the site, not impose on it.
There was not a lot of room for building at the top of the slope. So, the design needed to be compact. At the same time, it couldn’t be too dense. People standing nearby needed to be able to see the Arts Quad as well as Cayuga Lake. But I. M. Pei & Partners were up to the challenge.
I. M. Pei’s Majestic Brutalist Answer
Admiring the building from the side, you can see why it reminds people of a sewing machine or piano. The tower on the right stands nine stories tall, and contains the museum collections.
The “window” underneath the cantilever lets sunlight and sky through the structure and keeps its overall appearance “lightweight” from the ground, balancing out the concrete construction. What’s more, visitors can step out onto the outdoor terrace to enjoy the picturesque views from a height. As you might guess, the windows of the cantilever itself also offer some spectacular views.
Through features like this one, the structure does a wonderful job of uniting indoor and outdoor spaces. Ada Louise Huxtable wrote in The New York Times in 1973, “The galleries themselves are conventional areas. The adventure, as Thomas W. Leavitt, director of the museum, points out, is getting from one to the other. There is always the experience of transition, in the form of a bridge or cylindrical stair or passage with a glass wall, with a sudden switch from closed to open, from art to nature and back to art again.”
Recent Changes to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum
The museum underwent renovations in 2011, including the addition of a brand new $22 million extension. While Pei Cobb Freed & Partners oversaw the extension, Pei had retired from the firm, and did not participate.
Alas, the extension turned out to be problematic. In a lawsuit, Cornell lamented a variety of structural issues that amounted to what they called “architectural malpractice.” In total, Cornell said these problems cost them $1.1 million minimum.
Nonetheless, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art stands tall and proud today, inviting students, faculty and guests to enjoy its exhibits, its views, and its exceptional use of open space, transitions and light.
If you enjoyed this post, you also may like The Imposing Brutalist Grandeur of UW’s Red Square. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!
