Montecristo Magazine: SFU’s Gibson Art Museum Goes Beyond Art
The Gibson Art Museum has been featured in the Winter issue of Montecristo Magazine.
Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects in collaboration with Iredale Architecture, the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum introduces a new model for cultural architecture at Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Burnaby campus—a space shaped as much by people and purpose as by art. At 12,100 square feet, the museum anchors the campus gateway, inviting students and the community into an environment that blends art, learning, and connection.
The design honours SFU’s modernist legacy while adding warmth through brick, locally sourced mass timber, and expansive glazing that frames the surrounding forest. Inside, flexible gathering spaces such as the Arya & Hamid Eshghi Forum and hearth lounge encourage visitors to linger, study, and engage beyond traditional exhibitions. The inaugural show, Edge Effects, features work by Liz Magor, Cindy Mochizuki, and Germaine Koh, underscoring the museum’s role as a catalyst for interdisciplinary dialogue.
Founding Partner and Lead Architect Siamak Hariri credits the project's success to a “holy trinity” of leadership: the Visionary (SFU President Joy Johnson), the Captain (SFU Galleries Director Kimberly Phillips), and the Champion (donor Marianne Gibson), who were instrumental in bringing the vision for the modern art gallery to life.