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Overview

The New York architectsKohn Pederson Fox (KPF), a firm that rose to national prominence in the 1980s building understated, contextualist skyscrapers, designed this wildly undulating design reminiscent of exhaust pouring from a muscle car's tailpipe. The exterior facade metalwork also resembled the flames painted on the front fenders of hot-rods. This was appropriate, as Robert F. Petersen founded his publishing fortune with the introduction of Hot Rod magazine in 1947, and later built his company into an automotive publishing leader, also producing Motor Trend, Car Craft, and Motorcyclist. Oddly, the macho-focused Petersen Publishing Companyalso produced titles focused on the hormones of teenage girls, including Teen and Tiger Beat.

The first museum was constructed as a department store, but Petersen underwrote a renovation effort in 1986 that reshaped the windowless structure into a museum. The lack of windows suited his purpose well, as all museums need to control sunlight and its deleterious UV radiation. The building underwent a two-year, $40 million facelift, opening in 1994. This renovated building lasted 20 years, until a remodeling during 2014-2015 reshaped its facade dramatically.

PCAD id: 19859