Burke Brise Soleil at the Milwaukee Art Museum

The Burke Brise Soleil is the moveable, wing-like sun screen that rests on top of the Museum’s vaulted, glass-enclosed reception hall. The Brise Soleil, unprecedented in American architecture, is the signature element of the Museum’s new 142,050-square-foot Quadracci Pavilion.

The Brise Soleil opens when the Museum opens at 10 a.m. and closes when the Museum closes at 5 p.m.; except Thursdays when the Museum closes at 8 p.m. The Brise Soleil may stay open later some days due to special events. The “wings” also “flap” (close and open) each day at noon for visitors’ enjoyment. Please note that the Brise Soleil’s operations are weather permitting. The Museum will close or keep the Brise Soleil closed when winds exceed 23 miles per hour, in the event of electrical storms, snow and ice.

With fin size ranging in length from 26 to 105 feet, the Brise Soleil wingspan spreads 217 feet at its widest point, wider than a Boeing 747-400 airplane, and weighs 90 tons. Unprecedented in American architecture, the Burke Brise Soleil’s design is also unique among the moveable structures Calatrava has created in Europe.