The University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is getting a makeover that officials hope will draw more people to its attractions. Located near 32nd and South streets, the museum consists of seven connected buildings, the oldest dating back to the late 1800s. Labyrinthlike in its layout, officials felt it needed a unified vision, which renowned British architect David Chipperfield has been chosen to come up with.

"We were very excited by the amazing treasure box of collections in the museum and the historical buildings," says Victoria Jenssen-Pike, the Chipperfield Architects Ltd. project director. "It's unusual these days to come across a museum [that is also] a research institute."

Part of Chipperfield's plan will make the museum more accessible. Dr. Richard Leventhal, the Williams Director of the Penn museum, says the entrance can be hard to find and needs a more user-friendly look. They're also looking to add more parking, an amenity that will help draw visitors to the museum that can seem hidden from public view in the shadows of Franklin Field.

A selection committee of museum staff, board members and Penn architects chose Chipperfield from a list of international designers. His international reputation comes from work at places like the Natural History Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Literature in Germany.

"We found that his work was extremely thoughtful," says Leventhal.

Since this is Chipperfield's first project in Philadelphia, he will partner with local architects, landscapers, engineers and cost consultants for information on the museum and its place in the city. The team began work at Penn on Nov. 11. Once Chipperfield is familiar with the museum and its purpose, the designers will have their vision for the building's future.

Chipperfield will have a year to draw up a master plan and present design options to the museum's leadership, which will then discuss, modify and presumably approve the project.

"None of this is a fast-moving process," Leventhal says. "We have buildings that are over 100 years old, and therefore we need to think through how we are going to do the work within them."

Still, Leventhal says the museum hopes to begin implementing Chipperfield's ideas as soon as possible. The museum already received some private funding, but will begin raising more money to help see the project to fruition.

"We want the public to understand that we are very different than many other museums," says Leventhal. "We're not just a holding pen for materials and objects."