From Art to Architecture

This design for an art museum and studio in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill district draws inspiration from Robert Mangold’s painting Split Rings. The concept of implied geometry, central to Mangold’s work, guided the creation of the building's form. Arc-like masses are arranged to compose various galleries and spaces, collectively implying a circular shape when viewed in plan.

The ground floor houses an artist’s studio, accessible from the east, while the art museum occupies two subgrade floors entered from the west via a set of external stairs. These stairs lead to a sunken courtyard at the building’s core, featuring a circular water basin with a structural glass bottom. This basin doubles as an oculus-like skylight, casting refracted circles of light into the lower gallery, the only source of natural illumination in the space. This design element serves as both a practical feature and a nod to the concept of implied geometry and Split Rings.

The site’s landscape extends the building’s design language with arc-shaped ground lighting and benches, reinforcing the geometric theme throughout.