Peter Marino Announces Purchase Of Former Rogers Memorial Library Building And Intent To Open Museum There

Peter Marino, a New York City architect known as of late for the stunning facades of the Hublot building in New York and Louis Vuitton in Los Angeles, plans to open a private museum next door to the Southampton Arts Center featuring artwork created and collected by himself and his wife, costume designer Jane Trapnell.

The museum in Southampton Village would be in the former Rogers Memorial Library building that currently houses interior design firm One Kings Lane as a tenant.

Mr. Marino made the surprise announcement of his intentions for the two-story, Victorian Gothic property at 11 Jobs Lane, which he recently bought for $5.25 million, at the opening of the exhibition of his art collection at the Southampton Art Center on Friday, July 27.

If the contents of the architect’s exhibition—“Counterpoint: Selections From The Peter Marino Collection,” which is running until September 23 at the Southampton Arts Center—is any indication of the taste of art Mr. Marino will showcase at the new museum, the world-class contemporary collection on display may include imagery and sculptures from his personal gardens and local architectural projects, photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, paintings by Georg Baselitz, sculptures by Anselm Kiefer, and pop art from the late Andy Warhol, who was Mr. Marino’s friend.

Mr. Marino said it was a way to give back to his community. He and his wife bought a home in Southampton more than 20 years ago. His firm has worked on South Fork projects for more than 30 years for private home clients.

“We love the village, we love the trees, we love Lake Agawam, the inlet, the ducks and the swans,” Mr. Marino said in an interview Monday.

The permanent public exhibition will be operated by the newly created Peter Marino Art Foundation and feature The Peter Marino Collection, as well as rotating shows from guest artists and collaborators. There will also be educational programming geared toward younger audiences and students through a partnership with the Southampton Arts Center.

“So far, our connection is in the discussion phases,” he said. “There are many synergies that have been identified and joint efforts are our goal.”

Mr. Marino would not divulge how the project would be funded, who would run the foundation, the planned cost of admission, if any, or specifics on the Southampton Arts Center partnership.

“I think it is terrifically exciting and great for the community,” said Tom Dunn, executive director of the Southampton Arts Center. “I think, the more, the merrier, and we have already established a great working relationship with Peter and his team—it’s a great thing. The more the high-level cultural offerings for the community, I think the better it will be for the residents and our visitors.

“I wouldn’t even view it as competition. It is all complementary to one another. If people come by and visit us, they will stop by next door and vice-versa.”

The building—first designed by architect R.H. Robertson in 1895, with additions by Grosvenor Atterbury two decades later—has had a long history trading hands.

It was the home of Rogers Memorial Library before its move to Coopers Farm Road in 2000. It was purchased by the Parrish Art Museum for $1.1 million; the art museum then moved locations to a new facility in Water Mill, selling it to Jonathan S. Sobel, the husband of Parrish trustee Marcia Dunn Sobel, for $2.88 million in 2012. A limited liability company picked up the 7,916-square-foot building for $3.5 million in 2014 from Mr. Sobel.

The Real Estate Report Inc. reported that 11 Jobs Lane had traded again to another LCC that traced back to Scott Lohr, the chief financial officer for Mr. Marino’s architecture firm. The deal may have been struck at an earlier date, according to PropertyShark, which dates the transaction to August 14, 2017.

Mr. Marino has been a critic of the Parrish’s move from the village, pointing to the importance of cultural spaces in Southampton Village.

“When the Parish museum left for Water Mill, it unfortunately left a hole in Southampton in terms of dedication to the visual arts within the village,” he said. “We intend to restore 11 Jobs Lane to its original purpose. Hopefully, it will be a premier spot for art, for anywhere in the world.”

Construction on the museum will begin in September 2019. As for One Kings Lane, the interior design firm announced on Monday that it will move into a new location in Southampton in 2019 at the conclusion of its lease agreement. The firm added in a statement its management is pleased with Mr. Marino’s plans for the former Rogers Memorial Library building.

Southampton Village Mayor Michael Irving could not be reached for comment.

Jay Diesing, president of the Southampton Association, a local citizens group, said adding cultural institutions to the village center could be the way of the future.

“I think it will drive people to come into the village center to take advantage of those cultural resources,” Mr. Diesing said. “At the same time, it seems, unfortunately, that brick retailing is in decline. To some extent, I think it is perhaps good that it's not being converted into four more shops that will have pop-ups and close during the winter season.”