The art collection of Michael Audain looks like it's coming to Whistler Village, and the locals are pumped. Whistler residents were totally sold on the designs for the new Audain Art Museum, a 39,000 square foot, two-story space that will go in on town land on Blackcomb Way between day parking lots 3 & 4. The long house-like structure will have a steep A-frame roof to get the copious Coast Range snowfall sliding off of it, and has already been hailed as "iconic" by visiting critics. Plans for the museum were debuted for public comments and viewing on January 30th.
The building, designed by Vancouver's Patkau Architects, will house the art collection of Canadian real estate developer Michael Audain, which is known to consist of a lot of local British Columbian art, Vancouver School photoconceptualists, and a healthy of stock of art from local indigenous tribes. 2/3 of the space will be dedicated to housing Audain's personal collection, with the remaining space will go to temporary exhibits. Despite the relative celebrity of the museum and the man behind it, the structure's architects put a big emphasis on blending it into the surroundings - designing the building in such a way that only two or three trees need be cut down, wrapping the exterior in a dark envelope to obscure it during the day, while the interior of warm woods will act like "a shining latern" when lit up at night. If the plans past muster, construction could begin within the year.
· Design plans revealed at Audain Art Museum open house [City of Whistler]
· Megacollector Michael Audain Inks Deal for Major Museum In The Canadian Rockies [Blouin Artinfo]