Olson Kundig to Design Seattle University Museum of Art

When philanthropist Richard Hedreen made a transformative $300 million art gift to Seattle University in March 2024, it included $25 million in seed money to begin a new art museum. A year later, those plans are coming into view.

The university has selected award-winning architect Tom Kundig, principal/owner and founder of the highly regarded Seattle-based global design firm Olson Kundig, as the architect for the Seattle University Museum of Art (SUMA). Groundbreaking on 12th Avenue at the entrance of SU’s campus is anticipated for August 2026, with a museum opening prior to the start of classes in fall 2028.

“Tom Kundig’s visionary design embodies our Jesuit commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive and intellectually stimulating environment,” says SU President Eduardo Peñalver. “This museum will not only house an extraordinary collection of art but also serve as a welcoming gateway to our campus and a dynamic space for learning, reflection and community engagement. We are delighted to see this project come to life and look forward to the profound impact it will have on our students, faculty, staff and the broader Seattle community.”

In Kundig Seattle University selected an architect with outstanding credentials in museum design. Among his notable museum projects are the Burke Museum at the University of Washington, the Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University and two wings of the Tacoma Art Museum. Other notable Seattle-area projects by Kundig include the Wagner Education Center at the Center for Wooden Boats, the 2018 expansion and renovation of St. Mark’s Cathedral, and the Chapel of St. Ignatius, as local collaborator to design architect Steven Holl.

“It’s an honor to work on such an exciting project at the threshold of the Seattle University campus,” Kundig says. “In addition to showcasing a spectacular collection of art, the new museum serves a beacon to both the campus and the surrounding community. It carries forward the agenda and ambition of the Chapel of St. Ignatius, framing a flexible gathering space between the two buildings that could be a future campus green.”

Check out renderings of the Seattle Museum of Art in this photo gallery.

Envisioned as a teaching museum, SUMA will be a valuable addition to both Seattle University’s campus and the greater Seattle community. Its location at the main entrance serves as a welcoming invitation to the surrounding neighborhood and community. The newly unveiled design renderings illustrate how the museum will significantly enhance it and create a true destination for members of the Seattle University community as well as visitors, families and neighbors, fostering a greater sense of connection and accessibility.

This announcement comes on the heels of Seattle University’s recent agreement to establish Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University. Cornish’s numerous creative and performance spaces on the South Lake Union campus will be part of the new college and includes the highly regarded Behnke Family Gallery in addition to several theaters, studios, production and rehearsal spaces.

The arts and arts education are central to Seattle University’s mission to educate the whole person in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition and the museum will provide for an active learning, teaching and research environment in a world-class facility.

As a core curricular tool, the teaching museum will provide students with new entry points into issues and problems in their studies, creating new experiences through their encounters with art, while provoking collective insights through group discussions in front of powerful works of art in a setting outside a typical classroom. It will include flexible gallery space designed to accommodate performance art, music and select theater productions.

It will also permanently house and display the remarkable Hedreen art collection. Comprised of more than 200 works spanning the 15th and 16th centuries to modern and contemporary works, it is regarded as among the most prized and finely curated private collections in the U.S. It features works from such masters as Jacopo da Pontormo, Thomas Gainsborough, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, among many others.

Sellen Construction, a leading Seattle-based construction firm has been selected as the contractor for the project. Known for its commitment to community and innovation, Sellen has a long history of successful collaborations on significant cultural and educational projects in the region.

“We are honored to partner with Seattle University and Olson Kundig on this transformative project,” says Scott Redman, CEO of Sellen Construction. “Our team is dedicated to bringing this visionary design to life, creating a space that will inspire and engage students and the community for generations to come.”