New Campus

Aerial view of the museum's campus, including a rendering of the new Gundlach Building, Great Lawn, and indoor Town Square covered by Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann's Common Sky. Photo: Blake Dawson for Buffalo AKG Art Museum | Rendering courtesy of OMA

The main structures on the new campus will be the Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building (2023), the John J. Albright Bridge (2023), the Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers Building (1905), and the Seymour H. Knox Building (1962).

The Gundlach Building and Albright Bridge were designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu, the Wilmers Building was designed by E. B. Green, and the Knox Building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft.

The construction of the Wilmers Building was made possible by the generosity of John J. Albright, whose contribution was recognized in the name of the museum itself (the Albright Art Gallery). The building has not had a formal name since it was constructed. In 1962, the name of the museum was changed to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in recognition of the Knox family’s longstanding support of the museum—similarly, the 1962 building was never formally named.

At the groundbreaking of the construction project in 2019, our lead patron Jeffrey Gundlach announced that he was making an additional gift to fund the naming of the signature bridge connecting the Wilmers Building with the Gundlach Building after John J. Albright. The new names of the most prominent structures on the Buffalo AKG campus will now honor the legacies of the museum’s most steadfast friends and supporters throughout its history.

View of the new Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building from Elmwood Avenue

View of the John J. Albright Bridge from the Great Lawn

View of the Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers Building with restored historic staircase from Elmwood Avenue

View of the Seymour H. Knox Building from Elmwood Avenue

Gallery in the new Gundlach Building

Sculpture Terrace and main staircase in the new Gundlach Building

Grab and Go food and drink area in the new Gundlach Building

Inside the John J. Albright Bridge

Common Sky, 2019, by Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann of Studio Other Spaces. © Studio Other Spaces

New classroom in the Knox Building

New gallery in the Knox Building

The new Great Lawn in front of the Wilmers Building

The Gundlach Building will feature new state-of-the-art gallery spaces, a Sculpture Terrace, a Glass Box Theater, and a grab-and-go food and drink area. The Albright Bridge will connect the Gundlach Building to the Wilmers Building, which will feature refurbished gallery spaces, including the iconic Sculpture Court. The historic staircase will also be restored on the west exterior of the Wilmers Building.

The Knox Building will feature a new indoor Town Square covered by Common Sky, 2019, by Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann of Studio Other Spaces. The Town Square will be accessible by two entrances: the old Elmwood Avenue entrance and a new door on the east side of the Knox Building facing Frederick Law Olmsted's Delaware Park. The Knox Building will also feature a new education wing and gallery in the lower level.

The new underground parking structure will be topped with a vibrant Great Lawn, which will serve as a publicly accessible gathering place and outdoor events venue.

  • About the Project

    The project will more than double the number of artworks the museum can display at any given time.

    Learn More

  • Project Partners

    Learn more about our architectural partner, OMA, and the project's construction manager, Gilbane.

    Learn More

  • Project History

    Trace the evolution of the museum's campus development project from 2012 to the present.

    Learn More

  • Make a Gift

    Your donation in any amount to our Capital Campaign makes a difference.

    Give Now