UW Elvehjem Building

Location: Madison WI
Type: Planning

Dan Beyer Architects, along with Machado and Silvetti, produced the Concept study for the Elvehjem Building that is part of the Fine Arts District on UW Madison’s campus.  The Elvehjem Building is used by three organizations, the Chazen Museum of Art, the Art History Department as well as the Kohler Library, which is the University’s Art Library.  These three entities have a synergistic relationship where they support each other in the teaching of fine arts to the surrounding campus and community.

This concept study, initiated by the Chazen Museum of Art, explored different ideas on how to best utilize the space in the Elvehjem Building and provides a road map on how the facility could be developed to strengthen the synergy between these three groups.

​This report produced a design concept that transformed the spaces of the Elvehjem to accommodate a better connection of the building to the main pedestrian thoroughfare to the west, provided spaces within the building that allowed the three organizations to be more visible and be able to interact with each other, and respected the Historic nature of the building.