Barnes Foundation
Felt wrapped on panels. The 15 large-scale art panels in the Lightcourt are all different.
The ‘white on white’ silk on wool fabrics are serene and of pure beauty. The sensation of these tactile acoustic wall pieces can be best described as Mother of Pearl. The design of these wallcoverings was executed in cooperation with Tod Williams and Billie Tsien architects (NY), who built this new ‘home’ for this famous collection in Philadelphia.
The Barnes Foundation is a famous collection of paintings by Matisse, Césanne, Picasso,
Van Gogh, etc. The museum building is totally new and located in the center of Philadelphia.
The architects wished to emphasize the tactility of materials, and chose to work with limestone, steel, wood and glass; they also sincerely wanted to incorporate textiles.
Studio CJ and TWBTArchitects have a long relationship; together they decided to design a very pure, serene fabric that has its own strong personality. Even the acoustics in the huge central hall are improved by the fabrics.
The source for the feeling created by these panels were inspired by the paintings by the famous Dutch painter, Jan Schoonhoven.
This wallcovering gives its viewer a sensation of purity and tactility.
