Wexner Center Reopens

Having commissioned a landmark building by Peter Eisenman, Ohio State University's Wexner Center for the Arts made an all-too-common mistake: they left it out in the sun. Sixteen years after the building opened to great fanfare in 1989, the Wexner Center (above) is scheduled to reopen its galleries on October 30 after a three-year, $15.8 million renovation overseen by the engineering firm Arup. The center's HVAC system and roof have been replaced, its lobby, theater, and bookstore have been reconfigured, and an awkward glass vestibule that was shoehorned into the building's entry sequence has been removed.

But most important, Eisenman's gridded curtain wall and skylights have been rebuilt to allow natural light back into the center's galleries. Not long after the center opened, it became apparent that there was too much sunlight for the display of many kinds of art. The skylight and windows were covered soon after the building opened, but were uncovered during this renovation and reglazed using special triple-pane glass to meet curatorial standards for light levels.

"No one relished the idea of spending this much money and disrupting programming," says Sherri Gelden, the center's director. "But the building is a real asset to the community, and it was crucial to make it right."