Completed 2020
11,700 square feet

The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) is currently housed in the historic 44,000-square-foot Lawrence Hall, a complex assemblage of additions and renovations dating back to 1844 and including a significant 1980s expansion by Charles Moore. While the building reflects the layered history of the institution, its interior spaces no longer fully support the operational and programmatic needs of a contemporary art museum.

In advance of the College’s planned $175 million Williams College Museum of Art project—scheduled for completion in 2027—Oudens Ello Architecture was engaged to evaluate strategic opportunities to modernize and enhance functionality within the existing facility. Conceived as an enabling project, the scope focused on targeted, surgical interventions that would improve visitor experience, operational efficiency, and program flexibility during the interim years prior to the opening of the new museum.

Key improvements include the transformation of a constrained museum store into an intimate gallery and multipurpose arts space, alongside renovations to existing galleries, academic and administrative office areas. The most visible changes occur at the building’s entry lobby, where a new, consolidated service desk replaces multiple dispersed functions. By integrating visitor greeting, retail, and security into a single, staggered entry desk adjacent to the main stair, the project clarifies circulation and improves oversight while freeing up valuable floor area.

These interventions create a more welcoming and adaptable environment, enabling the museum to support small lectures, exhibitions, and informal gathering within Lawrence Hall, while extending the functional life and relevance of the historic building during a pivotal transition period for WCMA.