with Calder’s In Attendance
I’ve been a huge fan of the Calder family ever since the 1990s, when my friend Greta Greenberger, the former tour director of Philadelphia City Hall, introduced me to their work. She even encouraged me to take the classes that led to my becoming an official tour guide. My beat was City Hall, home to 250 Calder sculptures.
When I gave these tours with the Philadelphia Foundation of Architecture, I would highlight the Calder dynasty of artists whose works are embedded in Philadelphia’s landscape. From Alexander Milne Calder’s William Penn crowning City Hall,
to Alexander Stirling Calder’s Swann Memorial Fountain in Logan Circle, to Alexander “Sandy” Calder’s Ghost suspended in the Grand Stair Hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he was best known for his paintings and mobiles which utilized carefully orchestrated weighting to balance, move and suspend each piece in the air.
Last week, a long-held dream came to life with the official opening of Calder Gardens on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The new sanctuary celebrates the legacy of sculptor Alexander “Sandy” Calder, uniting the visionary architecture of Herzog & de Meuron with the masterful landscapes of Piet Oudolf.
The 1.8-acre site is unlike a traditional museum—its low-slung, curved structure blends into sweeping meadows and gardens filled with more than 250 varieties of perennials and grasses that shift with the seasons, making nature as much a part of the experience as the art itself.
When the Barnes Foundation approached Alexander “Sandy” Rower, Calder’s grandson and president of the Calder Foundation, about creating a museum, his vision was something different: not a museum, but a sanctuary. That idea became Calder Gardens, a one-and-a-half-acre oasis of reflection along Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the building itself sinks into the earth, while the surrounding gardens are the work of Piet Oudolf, the celebrated Dutch plantsman behind the High Line and Lurie Garden. At 80, Oudolf remains passionate about the restorative power of nature, noting, “Beauty is what we need in life next to war and all this craziness.” – From Elle Magazine
Calder Gardens represents a distinctive partnership: the Calder Foundation provides the curatorial vision, while the Barnes Foundation contributes administrative and operational expertise through an innovative resource-sharing model.
The building—a gently curved structure with a softly shimmering metal-clad north facade and an understated wood south facade reminiscent of Calder’s own bohemian home in Connecticut—was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning firm Herzog & de Meuron.
In this setting where architecture and nature commune, visitors will find a wide range of works by Calder both inside and outside. The artworks on display will change over time and include rarely seen masterpieces, some on public view for the first time.
Interesting, in a departure from the traditional museum approach, wherein didactic information is presented alongside works on view, Calder’s mobiles, stabiles, paintings, and drawings will be presented without labels that provide titles, dates, and texts explaining how best to understand and interpret them. By allowing the artworks to speak for themselves, Calder Gardens proposes an open-ended experience that encourages visitors to take their time and react to Calder’s art in their own way and at their own pace.
“Calder Gardens is a vision born from passion, persistence, and the belief that Philadelphia deserves this cultural treasure,” says Joe Neubauer, founding board member of the Trustees of Calder Gardens and one of Calder Gardens’ greatest supporters. “In a time of global uncertainty, we came together to create a place where art and nature offer healing, inspiration, and connection—brought to life by three world-class artists: Alexander Calder, Herzog & de Meuron, and Piet Oudolf. I’m deeply proud to have helped bring this to our city for generations to come.”
Calder Gardens comes alive throughout the year with programs inspired by Calder’s experimental spirit.
From artist-led audio walks and live performances to screenings, readings, and community gatherings, each experience transforms the gardens into a space for exchange and renewal—where culture, nature, and imagination meet.
Tucked within Calder Gardens is a quiet nook that pays homage to the Calder lineage, celebrating Alexander Calder alongside his father, Alexander Stirling Calder and grandfather, Alexander Milne Calder, who each left their own artistic mark.
At ground level, visitors can step into an outdoor space where a porous wall invites nature to take over. Over the next five years, it will slowly transform, becoming a living wall of vibrant greenery.
Thank you. Walk, don’t run to experience Calder Gardens. If Philadelphia wasn’t already firmly on the map for its world-class art museums, Calder Gardens (and yes, forgive me if I call it a museum) will secure its place as a premier art destination. The building and grounds alone are breathtaking, but inside, the Calder works themselves are nothing short of spectacular. With pieces rotating in and out on loan from the foundation, private collections, and museums around the globe every visit offers something new to discover. Deep gratitude to everyone who shepherded this masterpiece from vision to reality.
Socially yours, xoxo HughE
