The American Shakers had a distinct and influential approach to the design of everyday objects and landscapes that directly reflected their culture and beliefs. NBW is honored to be designing the landscape for the new Shaker Museum in Chatham, NY, alongside Selldorf Architects, who are designing the renovation of the historic building and an addition. The museum will house over 18,000 objects that comprise the most comprehensive collection of Shaker material culture and archives.
The museum also complements the diverse programming at the historic site in New Lebanon, NY, where the largest and most successful Utopian communal society existed in America for 160 years from 1787 to 1947. The museum and landscape will embody the Shakers' values of inclusion, innovation, and equality while responding to the community's needs and reflecting the horticulture and ecologies of the Hudson Valley.
Within a compact area, NBW's design weaves vibrant Shaker geometries with the regional horticulture and materials to welcome visitors. The design aspires to mediate gracefully between the building and the surrounding streetscapes and embody an ethos of connection between the museum and the historic site in New Lebanon.
The museum is expected to break ground in 2021 and estimated for completion in 2023.
Collaborators: Selldorf Architects
