In Spaces: Interior Designer and Architect Lewis J. Goetz on the Ansel Adams Gallery

Not only is Lewis J. Goetz, FIIDA, FAIA, the founding principal, President and CEO of Group Goetz Architects (GGA) — a nationally recognized architectural design firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. — but he also happens to be one of only seven individuals that is both a Fellow in the International Interior Design Association and the American Institute of Architects.

With over 39 years of experience, Lewis guides the firm in projects ranging from strategic facility planning, building design and building renovations, to innovative interior designs, and graphics. I recently had a chance to interview him on his firm’s work on the Ansel Adams Gallery at The Wilderness Society.

The Gallery is the centerpiece of a renovation of the existing headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The renovation included an update and reconfiguration of the office space, energy savings enhancements, new finishes, and the creation of a special gallery for the society’s treasured collection of Ansel Adams photographs.

As a gift to the Wilderness Society, Ansel Adams, one of America’s most famous photographers, donated 75 of his most important landscape photographs to the organization whose central mission is to protect and celebrate America’s wilderness.

What was the makeup of your team for this project? Our team was made up of Group Goetz Architects (Architect / Interior Design), Cynthia Reed (Art Consultant and Graphics), John Coventry (Lighting), and CS Consulting Engineers (MEP Engineering). The GGA team was made up of Lewis J Goetz, FIIDA, FAIA (Principal in Charge), Alek Jocic (Project Manager / Designer) and Derick Williamson (Project Architect /Designer)

How long did this project take from start to finish? The overall project took about 18 months, 4 months of which was design and 10 months was a delay because of funding for the project. Construction was about 4 months.

What was the biggest challenge when designing the gallery? The budget was the biggest challenge of the project. The Society had a very limited amount of funds for the project and it was our job to make it stretch as far as possible and still provide a quality space and design. The space was a renovation, so we looked at reusing elements when it was possible. It was also a good sustainable practice — and sustainability was an important part of the design concept for both Wilderness and the Adams collection. One example [of sustainable practice] was that we were able to reuse seven large scale doors that were once part of a conference room as the doors for the storage closet in the conference room.

How did the Ansel Adams collection inform your design of the space? From the very beginning we realized that the space had to be simple, and a backdrop to the intricate and beautiful black and white photos of Ansel Adams. One of the amazing things about Adams’ photographs is the range of tone from pure white to pure black. The design of the space took on the extremes and was largely rendered in white or black (or dark gray). The contrast helped accentuate the photos and their detail.

One of the other gestures that we made was creating breaks in the large spine wall dividing the space and gallery. The break in the wall took on a jagged edge like the large faults in natural rock formations in the photographs of Adams. The breaks allowed visitors to view the various galleries from different perspectives and have a larger sense of space.

How do you make something as simple as a gallery space an “experience” for visitors? The experience of the gallery has to be about the art not the space. We made sure the lighting was excellent and the HVAC was invisible but made the space comfortable. Everything was about showcasing the photography and making it the most important thing in the space.

In your opinion, how do Photography, Architecture and Interior Design coincide, or impact each other here? It was important the photography, architecture and interior design all work together in a symbiotic relationship each feeding off of each other to make the whole better than just the sum of its parts. The space is art, the photography is art and they work together to enhance the experience of viewing. One compliments the other.

Do you think Ansel would approve of the space? I do, and when his representative’s visited the gallery shortly after it opened they concurred. We were very excited to hear that they approved of the gallery.

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In Spaces is a new blog series we’re undertaking at IIDA, in which we feature Member-designed projects and spaces. If you have a project you’d like to share, send a press release or write up along with hi-res photos to codonnell@iida.org. Please include “In Spaces” in your email subject line.