Munson is a major cultural institution and a leading civic anchor in Utica, New York. In late 2021, Cooper Robertson was appointed to lead a comprehensive master plan for the ten-acre urban campus, home to the School of Art (operating as Pratt Munson, a satellite campus for the Pratt Insitute in New York City) and the nationally-renowned Museum of Art (housed in an iconic Philip Johnson-designed building). The Master Plan was a year-long process and involved extensive analysis of existing conditions and space use, significant engagement with stakeholders and the local community, detailed programming assessments, and numerous open space and building design studies.

Focused on both the near- and long-term success of Munson, the Master Plan proposed a wide variety of solutions to address key issues of identity, connectivity, and placemaking. This included signature open space improvements (both new and existing), strategic building renovations, and various program relocations. The Master Plan reimagined the visitor arrival experience to the campus and devised innovative solutions to foster stronger ties between the different program divisions, specifically the School of Art and the Museum of Art. Central to the Master Plan was a comprehensive assessment of space needs across the campus, a cornerstone of the project from analysis to final proposal.