Audain Art Museum

The Audain Art Museum is a 56,000-square-foot private museum located in Whistler, British Columbia, housing the private art collection of Michael Audain. Designed by Patkau Architects and opened to the public in 2016, it holds a comprehensive permanent collection of British Columbian art.
Design.
The site is moderately forested, consisting of mature spruce and cedar trees. During the initial phase of construction, only one tree was removed in an effort to preserve the site's ecology. The museum's main entrance is accessible by bridge, connecting the site to Blackcomb Way. The intention of the design was to blend the building into the existing site; Michael Audain explains that the cladding “"is an intentionally recessive colour—it recedes into the shadows, and that’s our view of the appropriate relationship between it and the context"”.
John Patkau, Principal of Patkau Architects, describes the museum's design as being shaped by three prominent factors. Firstly, its function as a gallery, housing both the permanent collection of Michael Audain in juxtaposition with temporary exhibits, changing intermittently. Second, the challenging site, located within the Fitzsimmons Creek floodplain, poses a flood risk on-site. Lastly, the enormous amount of snowfall that Whistler receives annually, which influenced the structure of the museum.
Construction.
Structure.
The museum, located at the base of the Whistler Mountain, is suspended one full storey above ground in response to site within the Fitzsimmons Creek floodplain. The 145-meter-long, elbow-shaped structure is suspended upon seven piers as its foundation system. The primary structure's three-dimensional bridge-like steel frame spans between the piers and is mostly concealed. The floor diaphragms consist primarily of reinforced concrete supported by a steel deck, while the roof structure consists of pre-fabricated long-span engineered wood panels. The use of a single concrete core, located at the elbow joint, provides lateral load resistance in the longitudinal direction, while a series of transverse steel frames, equipped with high ductility connectors are used for the first time in a real-life application, providing transverse load resistance. The use of these complex hybrid steel/concrete structural systems provide sufficient rigidity for the structure to achieve its long interior spans and dramatic cantilevers.
Permanent collection.
The Audain Art Museum displays a Permanent Collection of nearly 200 works of art, visually highlighting a historic journey of art from coastal British Columbia. The works span from the 18th century to the modern era and present day, containing one of the finest preserved collections of Northwest Coast First Nations masks; a large collection of works by Emily Carr, encompassing all periods of her artistic career; as well as art by important post-war modernists such as E.J. Hughes, Gordon Smith and Jack Shadbolt. In addition to these historical works, the Collection showcases art by internationally renowned contemporary British Columbia artists including Jeff Wall, Dana Claxton, Marianne Nicolson, Rodney Graham and Stan Douglas, among others.
Accessibility.
The Audain Art Museum prioritizes the accessibility of art to all, with all public areas being wheelchair accessible for members of the public with limited mobility, as well as "touch tours" of the collection for members of the public with visual impairment.
Past exhibitions.
Since its inception, the Audain Art Museum has hosted numerous temporary exhibitions, displaying a variety of art works.
Governance.
The Audain Art Museum is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, effective October 4, 2012 and is a Registered Charity. The Museum's Board of Trustees serves as its governing body.