UVM FLEMING MUSEUM OF ART

The historic Robert Hull Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont in Burlington was designed by architect William Mitchell Kendall of McKim, Mead, and White. Completed in 1931, the building is a notable example of Colonial Revival architecture. The building needed major exterior repair and restoration, repair and/or replacement of a leaky skylight atrium in the lobby, and general lighting, finishes, and furniture upgrades.

VIA worked with UVM and Fleming Museum staff from 2020 – 2025 to address the project in two phases. Phase 1 addressed exterior brick and trim restoration, including brick repointing and repair of balustrade, fascia and soffit, and window trim. Phase 2 included a new museum entry and lobby renovations to address air infiltration and energy loss, corrosion of steel and concrete at the base of the stone columns, window failure, and the desire to make a more functional and appealing entrance experience from the campus side of the building. VIA worked with UVM’s facilities team and museum staff to design a modern, sunlit entryway that enhances the building’s beautiful historic character.

A super-insulated copper barrel roof replaces the existing glass barrel vault roof, giving the main entry a new, modern focal point while echoing the adjacent historic copper barrel vault roofs at both ends of the entry lobby. A new high-performance triple-pane window wall system now encloses structural columns that were previously exposed to the exterior and features copper trim that complements the new roof. Together, these upgrades have increased the energy efficiency of the main entryway and lobby, reducing excessive solar heat gain and thermal loss.

A copper-trimmed winged canopy protects a new white marble façade surrounding the new entry, where custom-lit signage greets museum patrons. The beautiful historic stone archway and marble flooring in the lobby were restored as part of the project, contrasted by a new granite stone entry stair into the Lobby Gallery. Upgraded LED lighting and refreshed finishes in the lobby and hall galleries create a welcoming visitor experience and a modern backdrop for the next generation of artwork.