Duke University Nasher Museum of Art / Durham, North Carolina

Overview

As Director of Interiors for Rafael Viñoly Architects, Gillian Rose, led The Nasher Museum of Art’s interior design component.

The project comprises five pavilions: one housing the permanent collection, two dedicated to temporary exhibitions, one containing a 173-seat auditorium, and a fifth accommodating classrooms, administrative offices, along with café and retail spaces.

The lobby is defined by a restrained palette of curated precast concrete aggregate and an intricate deep-green slate floor pattern. These materials were selected to support the pavilion’s design intent, optimizing brightness and clarity to enhance the art-viewing experience.

Each gallery was conceived as a sanctuary, allowing the University’s extensive art collection to come fully to the forefront. A restrained palette of clean white walls and reclaimed oak flooring provides a quiet, supportive backdrop for experiencing the works on view.

The auditorium draws inspiration from the lush forest surrounding the campus. Red alder perforated wall and ceiling panels—selected for their optimal acoustic performance—are complemented by moss-green mohair seat upholstery, bringing warmth, depth, and quiet vitality to the space.

The play areas, classrooms, and retail spaces incorporate a range of natural materials, extending a sense of connection to the surrounding landscape and public realm beyond.