RUDOLPH AND SLETTEN NAMED GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR THE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF SACRAMENTO’S HISTORIC CROCKER ART MUSEUM
ROSEVILLE, CA (January 15, 2004)—Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. announced today that it has been selected as general contractor and construction manager for the $60 million renovation and expansion of the historic Crocker Art Museum. Located in downtown Sacramento, the Museum – donated to the city in 1885 by Margaret Crocker, widow of Central Pacific Railroad titan Judge E.B. Crocker – was the first art museum west of the Mississippi. Now in the preconstruction phase, the project is scheduled for groundbreaking in spring of 2006.
The project will involve construction of a new three-story, 100,000 square foot building to be located adjacent to the original 1872 Gallery building, as well as restorations and improvements to the existing buildings (the 1872 Gallery Wing, the 1969 Herold Wing, and the Mansion Wing, renovated in 1989).
The long-needed expansion will allow the Museum to fulfill its mission as a cultural center for the Sacramento region, resulting in city-wide economic growth through tourism. Currently, the Museum shows less than five percent of its collection and is unable to accommodate large touring exhibits due to a lack of gallery space. The architect of record for the project is the New York-based architectural firm of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates.
Rudolph and Sletten was selected for the project because of its ability to shepherd complex cultural and performing arts projects through the various stages of construction. In addition to the Crocker Art Museum, the company has served as the general contractor for the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts at Stanford University (Stanford Museum); COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa; Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View; and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Rudolph and Sletten is also serving as construction manager for San Jose’s California Theatre, home of Opera San Jose.
Elements of the new building include state-of-the-art gallery spaces totaling 25,000 square feet to house the permanent collection and another 10,000-12,000 square feet to accommodate touring exhibitions. Other features include a dramatic glass-walled two-story atrium, a 300-seat auditorium, and a sky bridge connecting the current facility with the new building.
“We are delighted that Rudolph and Sletten has been chosen to manage the Crocker Art Museum expansion and renovation, “said Lial Jones, the Museum’s Executive Director. “It is clear from the results of their work on other destination centers that they will bring a great deal of experience and expertise to the project, as well as an appreciation for what it is that we are working to achieve for our visitors and the City of Sacramento.”
“Rudolph and Sletten looks forward to the challenge of working with this historic property,” said Project Executive Jon Foad. “The significant enhancements and improvements called for by the new design will clearly make this a magnificent facility and a destination site for art lovers everywhere. We are very proud to be involved.”
MAJOR FEATURES
The new building will include a large double story atrium (capable of seating 400 at a formal dinner); a 300-seat auditorium with 600-foot stage and state-of-the-art audio-visual control room; an enlarged Museum store; a coatroom; public elevators; restrooms; two 100-seat meeting rooms; a catering kitchen; and a Café capable of seating 50 people inside that opens to a new, secure 7,000 square foot outdoor Courtyard.
The new galleries will more than double the Museum’s current exhibition space, and the new temporary exhibition space will allow the Museum to bring major “blockbuster” exhibitions to Sacramento. The sky bridge on the top gallery level will allow 360-degree traffic flow through the galleries.
Collections storage and administrative offices will be consolidated on the second level of the new building. High-security, climate-controlled painting storage, sculpture storage, textile storage, and ceramic-object storage areas have been designed, as well as a new Works-On-Paper Study Center, complete with a vault, study rooms, and two new galleries for the Museum’s world renowned Old Master Drawing Collection. The ground level of the new building will provide two loading docks and an oversized freight elevator for moving art, as well as exhibit preparation spaces and wet and dry workrooms for art conservation.
The ground level of the existing facility will be redesigned as an Education Center. Three functional and flexible studio spaces for art classes, a new children’s participatory gallery, a Teacher Resource Center, and a new student exhibition space will be added.
About Rudolph and Sletten
Rudolph and Sletten (www.rsconstruction.com) is one of the leading general contracting firms on the West Coast and maintains offices in Roseville, Irvine, Foster City, and San Diego, California. As a pace setter in the construction industry, Rudolph and Sletten has provided quality-oriented general contracting and construction management services for over four decades. Rudolph and Sletten’s expert professionals manage each job comprehensively, from site selection and preconstruction services through project completion.
Rudolph and Sletten’s building expertise includes virtually all types of projects with an emphasis on those markets where their technical expertise and quality excel: corporate campuses and office buildings, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, wineries, data centers, health care, electronics, and high-tech research. Other areas of expertise include parking structures, educational institutions, housing, public attraction, and retail facilities. Rudolph and Sletten’s Sacramento area clients include Kaiser, Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, The Evergreen Company, First Union, Affymetrix, Sutter Health, Catholic Healthcare West, Verizon Communications, EarthLink, and McCuen Properties.
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