By day it is a series of frosted-glass lenses rising politely from the Nelson-Atkins lawn. By night, the Bloch Building glows like a lantern — one of the most admired museum buildings of the 21st century, designed by architect Steven Holl.
Opened in 2007, the Bloch Building added 165,000 square feet of galleries for modern, contemporary, photography and African art, most of it underground, flooded with natural light through those glass “lenses.” Where the original 1933 building is classical stone, the Bloch is light itself — and the dialogue between them is the Nelson-Atkins’ signature.
Through 2026 the building is receiving behind-the-scenes improvements as the museum prepares its next chapter, with galleries and programs continuing — another reason to check what’s on before you visit.
Come at dusk, when the lenses light up against the sculpture park. It is Kansas City’s most elegant evening view.
