The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art represents the legacy of its founders, the circus entrepreneur and art collector John Ringling and his wife, Mable. A head of its time in curating a significant collection of Asian art, the museum currently  operates under the governance of Florida State University on a historic 66-acre site and is one of the largest museum-university complexes in the nation. 

The Asian Art Study Center comprises a renovation and addition to the West Wing galleries. Machado Silvetti reimagined approximately 18,000 square feet of temporary exhibition space as permanent galleries to showcase the museum’s expanding collection. A 7,500-square-foot addition completes the renovation, offering new gallery space and a multi-purpose lecture hall. 

The addition’s façade features over 3,000 custom deep-green glazed terra cotta tiles, forming a new monumental entrance. The color and chiseled texture of the tiles nod to the ceramic ornamentation of the nearby Cà d’Zan mansion and the surrounding lush landscape.  

“We wanted this building to be something unique in the world and a work of art. We are a collection of art objects, and our buildings should reflect that.”

— Dr. Stephen High, Ringling Museum of Art's Executive Director