Brooklyn Museum Entryway

Since construction in 1895, the Brooklyn Museum’s massive Beaux-Arts structure by McKim, Mead, and White, has struck an imposing figure. When the stairs were removed in 1934 due to structural instability, the facade became an unwelcoming cliff rising from the pavement, and visitors had to climb steep enclosed staircases to enter. In 2004, the museum sought to rectify the imbalance and open up the building with a new glass pavilion and a stepped public plaza. The outdoor space also functions as an exhibit for temporary installations, with artists ranging from Suzanne Lacy to Ai Wei Wei.