Before retiring from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1968, museum director Leslie Cheek proposed this design for a new entrance wing. A trained architect himself, Cheek collaborted closely with Robert Stewart of Baskervill & Son on the design, which was never realized because the State Art Commission considered "its scale inappropriate in relation to the earlier building". In 1976, a curvier design by Warren Hardwicke was built in its stead, which was ultimately then demolished to make room for the current McGlothlin wing.
Very much a product of the 60s, the design focuses heavily on the car experience, featuring a tunnel that essentially lets you drive through the sculpture garden.
I built this 3D model based on concept drawings and photographs of the original architectural model. I took some liberties but tried to remain as true to the concept as possible. The sculptures are all photo scans I did at the museum.
Source photos are from the two-volume series on Leslie Cheek called Desigining for the Arts