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A modern glass building glows with blue light at dusk, reflecting trees and another classical-style building with columns on the right. This serene scene captures the elegance of Louisiana museums and local art Lafayette.

Architecture

A Harmony of Contrasts

As Executive Director Molly Rowe says, “On the museum site alone, the past confronts the future.” The Eskew+Dumez+Ripple contemporary building is sited in a dynamic conversation with the historic structure designed by celebrated Louisiana architect A. Hays Town and the surrounding landscape.The designers integrated the complexity of both the structures and the social context inherent in the site.

A modern glass building lit with blue lights stands beside a classic white columned building at dusk, showcasing a striking contrast in architectural styles—an inviting scene typical of Louisiana museums and Lafayette family friendly attractions.

The Art Museum Building

The A. Hays Town building was designed as a replica of the Hermitage Plantation, a 19th-century Greek Revival structure, and brings with it all the connotations of the region’s intricate past. It is a space where the contrasts create a harmony and rhythm through materiality. At night, the building is bathed in blue light, contrasting the traditional warmer tones of the A. Hays Town building. The glass facade lends the space an airy openness, shifting from opaque to translucent with the changing light of the day—quite literally reframing how the past is reflected as time moves forward across the space. At times, it reflects the past and world outside; at others, it draws the eye inward.

As guests approach the museum, the glass facade floats above. Once inside, from the second-floor common area, visitors can view the original structure and Waterwall in an uninterrupted view through the expansive glass, integrating the past and present into a panoramic perspective. The spaces are organized simply and clearly between support spaces, common places, and gallery spaces, with the lobby and atrium gallery punctuated with daylight through vertical skylights. Within the museum walls, the natural world and built environments, past and present, all converge.

A modern outdoor water fountain features a tall, rectangular wall with water cascading down its surface, beside a glass building at the Hilliard Art Museum and lush green hedges under a blue sky—perfect for enjoying local art Lafayette exhibitions.

The Water Wall

One of the highlights on the grounds is the Water Wall, a 13-foot square panel framed in white steel, through which whitewater flows. Viewed on a long linear pathway between A. Town Hays building and the new Hilliard building and set against a backdrop of trees, it integrates the natural with the built environment. The water feature provides a visual transition between the contemporary museum building and the historic structure, while at the same time, it serves as a focal point between these two spaces that invites the natural world in.

A modern glass building stands next to a traditional white columned structure under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Trees are visible in the background along the walkway between the buildings.
A bronze statue of a man wearing glasses and a bow tie, holding a book under his arm, stands outdoors in front of leafy trees and greenery on a sunny day.
A large tree extends its branches over the modern, white exterior of the Hilliard Art Museum, which features colorful art panels and lush green grass in front.
Two musicians stand outside near large white columns at the Lafayette art museum; one plays the violin while the other, holding a bow, listens. Dressed in black, they create a bright, engaging scene—perfect for a Lafayette family friendly outing.

The Evolution of the Space

The original structure, called the Art Center of Southwest Louisiana, opened in 1968. It was designed by A. Hays Town on land gifted in 1964 by philanthropist Maurice Heymann. In 2001, Paul and Lulu Hilliard made a generous gift toward the vision of a new museum building. The new Hilliard Art Museum features a contemporary design and opened in April 2004.

The 33,000-square-foot building features over 11,000 square feet of gallery space, significantly expanding the collection’s exhibition and storage capacity. Designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in collaboration with museum founder Herman Mhire, the Hilliard Art Museum is sited adjacent to the original 1968 Art Center, which is a replica of a 19th-century Greek Revival plantation house.