Missoula Art Museum

Designed as a Carnegie Library by renowned Missoula Architect A.J. Gibson in 1908, the building was converted into the art museum in 1975. The historic library building, coupled with a 2006 building addition, houses the museum’s contemporary art collection within an iconic building.

Our project – a new air lock vestibule addition and street level renovation – demonstrates Missoula Art Museum’s commitment to improve their building and better-reflect community values. The new vestibule removed an angled entry canopy and former museum bookstore wall, simplifying the overall design composition by reducing clutter and knitting the 1908 and 2006 buildings together. Concealed strip lighting, a fir soffit, and a subtle vestibule roof projection provides a glowing, welcoming entry point with enhanced street visibility. A large granite wall with signage was salvaged and relocated from the former entry to the re-aligned ‘preview gallery’ (former museum bookstore) wall, demonstrating the value of high-quality material reuse and helping to maintain the building’s history. The design intentionally draws from the best of the existing building, showing how a quiet design intervention can be extremely impactful.