The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University
San Marcos
A transformational renovation and expansion of The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University creates a new lobby and galleries to further the collection’s literary, photographic, and musical archival mission. These spaces are grounded in three spatial characteristics of the “spirit of place” of the Southwest: threshold, vista, and mystery. The journey through the collections begins as visitors cross a diaphanous wall and are met by wooden beams floating mysteriously below a backlit light cove. Three new galleries are arranged on axis with existing spaces, offering extended vistas that connect old and new spaces. Each new gallery is demarcated by deep wooden portals that act as thresholds heightening the spatial awareness of passage between traditional and modern galleries. Elegant detailing utilizing regional woods, glass, leather, and metal is sympathetic to the existing fabric while looking towards the collection’s future. The results are an understated yet nuanced revitalization that distills the ethos of the Southwest.
