On May 21, 2024, Philbrook Museum celebrated the groundbreaking of the Tandy Pavilion, the first expansion to the Philbrook campus in over 35 years. Nestled into an underutilized area of the Museum’s grounds, the approximately 6,000-square-foot Tandy Pavilion and 2,000-square-foot covered patio will be a hub for art education, nature programs, special events, and general recreation.
The Tandy Pavilion is designed intentionally to integrate into the surrounding landscape. Pre-weathered steel and wood make use of a natural color palette and materials that will compliment the terrain and decorative gardens. A green roof covered in native grasses makes the building appear to blend right into the sloping earth. From inside, an abundance of windows offers uninhibited views of the beloved Philbrook grounds. This building is a merging of contrasting elements — indoors and outdoors, man-made and natural — in such a way that harmony is achieved.
The Tandy Pavilion is being brought to fruition thanks to a $10 million gift from the A. R. & Marylouise Tandy Foundation. The Tandy gift also enables Philbrook to enhance the campus, adding new lighting, accessible pathways, much-needed infrastructure like restrooms, and updated security measures to more safely and efficiently use the outer edges of the property.
