45 - Steven Holl

Steven Holl (b. Bremerton, Washington, 1947), design study for the second phase of the expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, 2007, watercolor over pencil sketch, dated “5/7/07” (May 7, 2007) in pencil at the bottom edge, inscribed “Sidney (sic!) M.O.C.A. Stage II" and signed, 12.5 x 17.5 cm, mounted on backing board and set under glass and a mat in a white anodized aluminum frame, overall size: 28 x 28 cm. Limited edition of 450 Steven Holl begins each of his architectural projects with a small watercolor sketch in the size of a notepad. These drawings serve as his primary tool for intuitively exploring the interplay of light, space, and color before the designs are developed digitally. The design shown here is a conceptual study for the expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Sydney, Australia. In the mid-2000s, the museum planned a large-scale expansion and redesign of its site at Circular Quay. Holl submitted this design for the second phase (“Stage II”) in May 2007. The colorful watercolor areas suggest how natural daylight should be filtered to organically illuminate the interior gallery spaces. The project was not realized by Steven Holl. The actual expansion of the museum was ultimately carried out according to the designs of Australian architect Sam Marshall and opened in 2012.