Patrick Gallagher has followed his own road to success—and along the way, he’s led the design of some of the world’s most memorable museum experiences.
There’s no formal path to a career in museum planning and exhibition design, so Patrick Gallagher has blazed his own.
The Comcast Experience combines urban planning, environmental design, and public art to create a lively new gathering spot in downtown Philadelphia.
The new Robert A.M. Stern-designed Comcast Center tops off the Philadelphia skyline at 975 feet. And it breaks new ground on the ground floor as well, with an 85-ft.- by 25-ft. high-resolution video wall that turns a public transportation hub into a gigantic work of public art.
A quote from Rodin about his fascination with Michelangelo ran along the corridor wall leading to two concurrent Rodin exhibitions, one about Michelangelo's influence on the sculpture. Visitors could pass freely between the exhibits, which were anchored by three graphic scrims that provided an ornate architectural note to the plain gray walls and box-shaped pedestals.
Susan Maxman Architects, Willie Fetchko Graphic Design
As part of the renovations to an existing service station, Sunoco commissioned Susan Maxman & Partners and artist Michael Webb to design murals for the end walls of two rowhouses adjoining the property. The problem was to transform the graffiti-covered walls into a visually exciting but subtle depiction of the historic neighborhood. Research revealed that St. James Episcopal Church, designed by Fraser, Furness and Hewitt, occupied the site in 1870 and stimulated construction of the elaborate townhouses nearby.
Inspired by retro-modernism, but without overt reference, Pod is an all white space painted with colored lights. The restaurant features pods (individual spaces), from deuce pods along the dining perimeter, to pods for six to ten people that have internally illuminated color changing table tops. Some design features that make Pod so unique are the high gloss white epoxy walls, acoustic foam ceilings, creamy concrete floor, dipped rubber chairs, and a thirty foot red rubber lounge barge.
The client was interested in creating a unified visitor experience that included a comprehensive signage and interpretive system for the Tyler Arboretum, a 700-acre outdoor living museum located just west of Philadelphia. The design team conducted planning workshops from which several major themes emerged, including botany, history, and conservation. The resulting comprehensive signage and interpretive system includes 40 interpretive panels of different sizes. The panels are layered with headlines, messages, photos, and playful illustrations.
With an astonishing 9,200 acres, 63 neighborhood parks, and a crowded events calendar, the Fairmount Park system is a wonderful resource for Philadelphians and visitors. Cloud Gehshan Associates developed a wayfinding and sign system that extends throughout the park, from the quietest trails through the heart of the city and on to the Delaware waterfront.
The graphics cladding the ramps of the Philadelphia Eagles' new stadium soften the somewhat harsh industrial appearance. The stadium's close proximity to an interstate and the flight path of Philadelphia International Airport provides excellent visibility for these graphics.
Since 1991, the museum has been housed in the landmark Old Post Office building in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Square section. In 2000, the museum commissioned an expansion that would link the Post Office with the neighboring, vacant Buhl Planetarium. The new expansion has bridged the two buildings with a three-story structure that provides a new entrance and additional exhibit space.
