"A few years ago an art museum was a repository for static collections. Almost any pompous building served. Today's problem is to provide for constantly changing exhibitions and an expanding program of public services. A building must first of all be flexible.

"The entrance faŤade has little to do with floor and ceiling levels and ignores the vertical shaft of the staircase, yet has dramatic appeal of its own. The ground floor is separated from the street by clear glass. Above are the two main gallery floors, with walls of translucent insulating glass. Then come two stories of offices and the pierced roof slab of the member's penthouse. Walls are hung with white marble and blue tile."

— from Elizabeth Mock, ed. Built in the USA Since 1932. p88.

The Creator's Words

"There is too much conformity in contemporary architecture. I like to think of architecture as an individual creative expression; I get more pleasure out of my work if I carry through my own convictions rather than pursue a dogma outlined by some other architect. An architect should try to find his own expression. At one juncture the work of many people looks alike. The paintings of the Impressionists, for example, or of the Cubists, working in the same movement at the same time, looked quite similar. As time passed, however, each worked into his own individual style. In this age of standardization, Americans need more than ever to cultivate the open mind. Those who assert their individually should find greater tolerance from their fellow; if our flights of fancy fond receptive audiences and each of us were encouraged to be an individual, our lives would be enriched."

— Edward Durell Stone. from Paul Heyer. Architects on Architecture: New Directions in America. p177-178.