World renowned design firm Herzog & de Meuron and acclaimed landscape designer Piet Oudolf
have conceived a place where art and nature combine for reflection, contemplation, and learning
The Board of Trustees of Calder Gardens has unveiled
the design for its new site on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in the heart of downtown
Philadelphia. Featuring a building conceived by Pritzker Prize-winning design practice Herzog &
de Meuron and gardens by internationally acclaimed Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, the
project is dedicated to the art and ideas of Alexander Calder, a native Philadelphian who is
considered one of the most innovative and influential artists of the 20th century.
Galleries will be illuminated by natural light, in a structure ensconced in a flowing landscape of
native and flowering species, Calder Gardens will present a rotating selection of masterworks
from the Calder Foundation, New York, including mobiles, stabiles, monumental sculptures, and
paintings. “The esthetic value of these objects cannot be arrived at by reasoning,” Calder wrote
in 1933. “Familiarization is necessary.” Installed both indoors and outdoors, Calder’s art will be in
constant dialogue with nature and the changing atmospheres of the seasons. Calder Gardens will
provide the public with a singular place for contemplation and reflection, as well as abundant
opportunities for learning and community building through a schedule of inclusive public
programs and special events.
“Our intention for Calder Gardens is not only to create the ideal environment for the public to
encounter my grandfather’s work but also to elevate personal contemplation and reflection,”
said Alexander S. C. Rower, President of the Calder Foundation. “Calder’s role as a pioneer of
experiential art is essential to his legacy. For viewers who open themselves up to the possibilities
of his mobiles and stabiles, the unexpected takes root. His objects continuously unfold in real
time.”
Calder was born in Philadelphia in 1898, and his connections to the city are grounded in the rich
artistic lineage of his family. A trio of iconic installations by three generations of Calders can be
found along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway: at the southeast end, atop City Hall, stands the
monumental statue William Penn (c. 1886–94) by the artist’s grandfather Alexander Milne
Calder; at the midpoint sits Swann Memorial Foundation (1924) by his father Alexander Stirling
Calder; and at the northwest end is Calder’s own 1964 mobile The Ghost, which hangs
majestically in the main hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Thus Calder Gardens brings into
the 21st century the legacy of a Philadelphia family whose work has defined and enriched the city
for over a century.
About the Design
Crafted specifically for the presentation of Calder’s work, the landscape and architecture of
Calder Gardens will unfold as a choreographed progression that moves visitors from the
quotidian city context to a more contemplative realm beyond the traditional museum
experience, allowing them to engage with art as a personal, real-time encounter—as the artist
intended.
“This was actually an open-ended process rather than a finished concept based on a fixed
program. A kind of conceptual path which made us carve out the ground rather than build forms
and volumes above—we were looking for space to present Calder’s work in a new and
unprecedented way,” said Jacques Herzog, founding partner along with Pierre de Meuron of
Herzog & de Meuron. “That space in the making eventually grew into a whole sequence of
different galleries and also rather unexpected spaces, niches and gardens; such as the apse and
the quasi-galleries or open plan gallery, the sunken or vestige gardens. And not only galleries in
the classical sense, but every corner and angle, every stair and corridor should be offering itself
up as a place to put art.”
Discreetly nestled into the landscape, Herzog & de Meuron’s almost 18,000 sq ft structure will
be sheathed in softly reflective metal cladding that blurs the boundaries between architecture
and the natural world—the material and the immaterial.
Departing the busy Parkway, visitors will approach the building along a path that winds through a
meadow-like landscape punctuated by trees, arriving at the main entrance on the building’s
north façade. Beyond the threshold, a sequence of spaces will reveal themselves below ground
level as distinct volumes that will house a constantly changing display of Calder’s most acclaimed
works. Large windows will wash the interiors with natural light and frame both the shifting
geometries of Calder’s work and views of different gardens conceived as outdoor galleries. A
Sunken Garden and Vestige Garden, visible from within the building through expansive glazing
that likewise permits visitors outdoors to see into the building’s exhibition spaces. Quiet but
theatrical, Herzog & de Meuron’s design has been conceived to amplify the impact of the
artworks—to encourage engagement with their kinetic properties by affording visitors many
different vantage points—and catalyze discovery and reflection.
The seamless relationship between the built elements designed by Herzog & de Meuron and the
gardens envisioned by Piet Oudolf is central to the philosophy of Calder Gardens. The site will be
distinguished by its naturalistic four-season garden, intending to create an entirely different
experience than all other cultivated, manicured gardens on the Parkway.
“I see my gardens as living sculptures where change is constant,” Oudolf said. “The site is like a
canvas to work on, and each plant has a personality that must work with the others. The
composition of the garden is variable and will evolve through the seasons. For Calder Gardens,
the horticultural design must also serve the works of art. My hope is that people will take the
time to stand still and think here, to fully experience these elements together and have an emotional
reaction that stays with them long after their visit. It’s not about what you see, but
what you sense.”
About Calder Gardens
The nonprofit Calder Gardens was launched by a group of Philadelphia philanthropists working in
collaboration with the Calder Foundation and partnership with the City of Philadelphia and the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. While governed by its board and curatorial committee, Calder
Gardens will be operated by the Barnes Foundation—a renowned cultural and educational
institution—to provide administrative, operational, and educational programming support when
the new site opens to the public in what constitutes a new model for institutional sustainability
and efficiency.
The Calder Gardens Board announced its selection of Herzog & de Meuron as Design Consultants
in 2020. Ballinger will be the project’s Executive Architects. Presented before the Philadelphia
Art Commission this week, the Basel, Switzerland-based firm’s design has been developed over
the past two and a half years through intensive collaboration with the organization’s board, the
Calder Foundation, and, since 2021, Piet Oudolf. The shared goal has been to create a place
where art and nature merge uniquely: the 1.8-acre Calder Gardens site—situated between 21st
and 22nd Streets, across from the Barnes Foundation—will be a sanctuary-like retreat for
Philadelphia residents and visitors alike, and a complement to the existing configuration of
internationally acclaimed arts institutions that line the Parkway. “Calder Gardens marks a
culturally rich Parkway,” said Joe Neubauer, Founder of the Neubauer Family Foundation and
lead funder of the initiative.
In addition to lead funding from the Neubauer Family Foundation, the Calder Gardens project
has been brought to fruition by numerous philanthropists and private foundations, including The
Pew Charitable Trusts, the Estate of H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest, and an anonymous donor. The project
is also supported by the Commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The $70
million projected budget for Calder Gardens will include a substantial endowment to provide
ongoing operating support and has been raised through the generous contributions of these
patrons.
Sue Urahn, president and chief executive officer of The Pew Charitable Trusts, said, “Pew is very
pleased to support Calder Gardens and we are excited to see the plans for it begin to take shape.
The new public space will be a wonderful addition to the Parkway and enhance Philadelphia’s
reputation as a world-class city in which to live, work, and visit.”
“The Calder family is integral to the history and now the future of Philadelphia. I am grateful for
the range of partners that will bring Calder Gardens and the amazing art and ideas to the
Parkway,” said Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia. “This will continue to build upon an evergrowing arts and
culture presence in our great city, further enhancing the city's cultural
experiences for visitors and residents alike.”
Marsha Perelman, President of the Board, Calder Gardens, said of the design unveiled today, “To
honor Calder’s work in a project of this significance, we engaged some of the world’s most
respected and experienced talents. Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf are universally admired
for their work on cultural sites. They know what it takes to create an unparalleled art experience
and to challenge conventions to expand our minds and senses. I am thrilled that Philadelphians
will be able to benefit from this unique experience in their own city.”
Calder Gardens is scheduled to open in 2024.
The public can learn more about Calder Gardens online at caldergardens.org and on social media
@Calder_Gardens on Instagram and Twitter.
