The Construction Wall As An Outdoor Art Gallery

While the Philadelphia Museum of Art is undergoing a major expansion, it does not mean that access to the art inside is limited. The construction wall surrounding the building site has been turned into an outdoor gallery, displaying 75 reproductions of the artworks inside the museum.

The wall, which is longer than a football pitch, could have been a real eyesore, hadn’t it been for Pentagram, one of the world’s largest design agencies which was previously involved in rebranding the museum’s identity. They decided to create a wall made from unfinished plywood, which is a hint to the wooden boxes fine art is usually shipped in. Phrases like “must lay flat” and symbols of broken glass are featured on the fence as well.

By displaying some of the artworks outside, the museum has both created a new crowd-puller and remained faithful to its principle of opening the collections to the public. The pop-up museum will feature pieces from Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh, Barbara Kruger and a lot more. The museum is planning to rotate the collection at least twice within the three-year construction period, hoping to encourage more visitors and passers-by to go see the original artwork and the rest of the collection inside.