Bechtler Museum of Modern Art building sketch by Mario Botta

Filled with Light: The Designs of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

In commemoration of its tenth anniversary, Filled with Light shares the lesser-known programmatic and design evolution of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. In 2000, Andreas Bechtler and his family began to explore a variety of approaches to fulfill the family wish of sharing their impeccable art collection highlighting the creative zeal of the best of 20th-century Modernism.

Visitors see early designs for the museum as it was originally imagined at Mountain Island Lake before the museum became slated to become part of the Levine Center for the Arts in Uptown Charlotte. Never-before-seen architectural sketches, drawings, study photographs and plans illuminate the remarkable evolution of this powerful yet intimate building. The result is an architectural piece of art that is filled with light, engaging community spaces and home to Charlotte’s largest private collection of Modern art since 2010.