The expanded Queens Museum will be housed in a building that has a spatial organization well suited for its use and which occupies an appropriately prominent position in Flushing-Corona Park. However, the building's staid municipal character is not evocative of the idea of a contemporary cultural arts center; it is in need of a new image. We propose to transform the building by clarifying its internal organization and providing it with a new skin.

The new skin appears light and volumetric. The building's structural frame is veiled in both transparent and screen-patterned glass that filters light and creates a surface that can be used internally and externally. Metal panels shroud the black-box spaces. Skylights relieve the dark interior and animate the objects within.

The building's structural frame is revealed and is thought of as a scaffold for multiple uses. Small modifications are made to create more neutral, flexible spaces.

The Museum is organized to allow for maximum flexibility and can be opened in different ways for different events. Exhibition spaces are neither overly generalized nor too idiosyncratic. Galleries form a U-shaped band around a great multi-purpose hall, and a number of circuits throughout the museum are possible. A variety of lighting conditions can be created.

The building engages its surroundings. The east and west facades become scenes that expand the spatial influence of the museum. A rooftop cafe and sculpture garden provides a panoramic view of the park.