Pulitzer Arts Foundation

Design Architect: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
Architect of Record: Christner Architects
Structural Engineer: Guy Nordenson & Associates
Lighting Design: Fisher Marantz Stone
General Contractor: McCarthy
Location: St. Louis, MO

Located in the Grand Center Arts District, this contemporary art museum is the first freestanding public building in the United States designed by Tadao Ando. It exemplifies Ando's signature use of cast-in-place concrete, uncommon in American construction at the time. Two rectangular parallel volumes housing gallery space are bisected by a central reflecting pool. The pool and carefully positioned skylights redirect shifting patterns of natural light into the interior. The shifting mood created by subtle lighting changes is central to the building's function, an atmosphere for the quiet contemplation of art.