Telfair Museum of Art's Jepson Center
The Jepson Center was designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie.
HunterMaclean helped lay the groundwork for the Telfair Museum of Art to build the new Jepson Center for the Arts, a sleek, contemporary building on Telfair Square in downtown Savannah. The Jepson Center successfully bridges the city's historic architecture with its vibrant future, serving as a centerpiece of Savannah's cultural community.
However, receiving permission to build the Jepson Center proved to be a challenge for the Telfair Museum of Art. Just one year after Savannah's Historic Review Board, which reviews building projects planned within the city's National Landmark Historic District, adopted guidelines to protect Georgia's First City's architectural character, the Telfair proposed building a new structure to house its growing art collection.
The Jepson Center would add 66 percent more much-needed space to the Telfair Museum of Art, which includes the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Owens-Thomas House. But the modern building design by acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie affronted the historic sensitivities of some on the Review Board. At the center of the issue was Safdie's transparent facade, which critics claimed violated the district's zoning ordinances, which specify the number and size of a building's openings. The Review Board also expressed concern that the planned two-story bridge spanning the north and south buildings would disrupt General James Oglethorpe's original master plan for the city.
Hunter Maclean attorney Mills Fleming helped the two sides reach a compromise: Safdie added mass by installing stone columns to the glass facade and turned his original two-story bridge into two narrow ones. With changes made, the Review Board passed the proposal in 2000. Today, the Jepson Center for the Arts shines as one of Savannah's premier tourist destinations and is a cultural jewel that delights residents and visitors alike.
Client Status:
The Telfair Museum of Art has been a proud Hunter Maclean client since 1986.
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About the Telfair's Jepson Center for the Arts:
The new 64,000-square-foot Jepson Center for the Arts, located in downtown Savannah between York Street and Oglethorpe Avenue, opened in 2006 with five galleries, two outdoor sculpture terraces, educational studios, a cafe and a museum store, plus a 220-seat auditorium. The unique and innovative design includes hung-glass ceilings, cantilevered walls, a stone exterior and natural light spilling over much of the interior.
Founded in 1886, the Telfair Museum of Art is widely known as the South's oldest public art museum. In addition to world-class traveling exhibits, the Telfair Museum features an outstanding collection of art by local, regional and national artists. In addition to the Jepson Center, the museum owns and operates the Telfair Academy and the Owens-Thomas House, two historic buildings located in the heart of downtown Savannah.
