The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla., shows off its dramatic new Southwest Wing on Mar. 8. Designed by Chad Floyd of Connecticut's Centerbrook Architects, the 42,000-square-foot expansion project increases the size of the museum to 112,500 square feet, making it the state's largest art museum. The $35-million undertaking includes 14 new galleries, offices, a gift shop and an enclosed courtyard to accommodate educational and social events. Throughout the building, hurricane-proof glass and heavy-duty shutters were installed for protection against violent storms. Also among the structure's highlights is a three-story oval atrium with a cantilevered concrete staircase, a patterned terrazzo floor and a ceiling light panel that simulates a skylight. A room to one side of the atrium contains a palm-lined reflecting pool and a glass ceiling designed by Dale Chihuly.

The new galleries will be used primarily for displays of selections from the museum's holdings of Chinese, European (before 1870) and contemporary art, including 52 major Pop and Minimalist works recently donated to the Norton by Catherine and Gilbert Brownstone.

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