Institute of Contemporary Art

This guide to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia follows architect Adele Naude Santos as she tackles what her team called an unbuildable site for the University of Pennsylvania's museum: dormitory towers blocking light on either side and subway tunnels ruling out a deep foundation. It traces the sculptural fix her team devised, extending the building's limestone base outward to wrap around the dorm towers' own foundations. You'll hear how a tight budget and an accelerated schedule left no room for a second attempt. Walk the pale stone plinth at the entrance, the very fix the building was built around.