Michener Addition Wins Top Honor

The glass-walled addition to the James A. Michener Art Museum is filled with a golden light - and now it has a golden medal.

The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently awarded the museum's new event space with its highest honor, a gold medal for design excellence.

The Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion at the Michener was recognized for the soaring panes of glass that form three sides of the room in the courtyard of what once was the Bucks County Prison.

The glass walls, which had to be specially constructed and installed, preserve "seamless views of the stone walls" of the former prison, which encircle the museum's sculpture garden. KieranTimberlake was the architect for the project.

The architects' group noted that the glass walls have no joints and provide the same protection against heat gain and loss as a well-insulated masonry wall. 

Dedicated in April 2012, the Putman Pavilion offers 3,400 square feet for rent for both public and private events. It was named in honor of the late Bucks County businessman and benefactor, who died in 2008 at age 78. Putman founded Penn Color in Doylestown and grew it, with the help of his son Kevin, into an international success.

"Our partnership with Kieran Timberlake and Adams-Bickel has resulted in a cohesive, elegant space that further adds to the aesthetics that define the museum operation," Michener CEO Lisa Tremper Hanover said in a statement.  "Its function as a multi-purpose space has already yielded positive results and rave reviews."

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