** PROR FIRM EXPERIENCE
Saiful Bouquet Principal, Ron Lee, while at a prior firm, led the design of the Corcoran Gallery of Art with award winning architect Frank Gehry for the new addition to the existing Corcoran Gallery of Art. Previously, the facility was designed by Ernest Flagg which opened in 1897, and included an addition designed by Charles Platt that opened in 1928. The original building contained two floors of galleries, administrative offices and support facilities, as well as facilities for the college of art and design.
The 140,000 sq. ft. addition by Frank Gehry was designed including a free form main entrance on New York Avenue that leads to a new museum atrium. Two types of gallery space were designed in the addition, a traditional and sculptural gallery, as well as a new atrium below-grade.
The façade utilized curved stainless steel panels and large sculptural highlights at street level to flood the atrium with natural light. The structure was steel construction. The project utilized CATIA three-dimensional software.
Construction Documents were completed and under review by the governing authorities. However, this project was stopped after the events of 9/11.