MFA - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA 

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, houses one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the United States. It was in 1999 that Norman Foster was awarded the contract to redevelop and refurbish the two historical entrance settings and the visitor centre, and design a new exhibition wing. He placed prominent blocks at the ends of the two side wings. In the new north-south axis, a central, glass-roofed atrium links the existing buildings and at the same time forms the entrance to the new end blocks and the new Art of the Americas Wing.

seele built the new roof on the existing steelwork to the atrium and closed off the open sides with glass cable-net façades. These comply with high energy-efficiency requirements and the museum’s special lighting specification: no UV light, high level of daylight with natural colour rendering. Computer simulations enabled condensation scenarios to be studied. The results of the simulations governed the design of the glazing: double and triple glazing, and at particularly exposed places a low E coating as well. This faithful response to the particular conditions in situ reliably prevents condensation collecting on the inside of the panes.