The Pulitzer’s main museum building was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando (b. 1941, Japan). It opened in 2001 as Ando’s first public commission in the United States. The museum contains expansive galleries for temporary exhibitions, indoor and outdoor spaces for public gatherings, and three permanently-installed artworks by Richard Serra, Ellsworth Kelly, and Scott Burton.
The two-story building is made from concrete—Ando’s signature material—and features a central reflecting pool that infuses the main-level galleries with abundant and ever-changing natural light. For Ando, the architecture’s incorporation of elements from the natural world is essential to the experience of the art presented within the building.
The museum anchors the Pulitzer’s campus and is surrounded by three distinct outdoor spaces, including, Park-Like—a native plant rain garden, the Spring Church—an open air pavilion and beloved landmark, and the Tree Grove—a shady picnic spot with oak and redbud trees.
