The museum is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler, a Charlotte resident and native of Switzerland who assembled and inherited a collection of more than 1,400 artworks created by major figures of 20th-century modernism.

A key design element of the four-story structure is the soaring glass atrium that extends through the museum's core and diffuses natural light throughout the building.

Inside, Botta employed a palette of materials which include steel, glass, terra cotta, black granite, polished concrete and wood.

Botta also designed select pieces of furniture for the museum including the reception desk, café bar, gallery benches and hanging globe lights.

The collection comprises mid-century modern art in various media by artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Andy Warhol, Jean Tinguely, Barbara Hepworth and Pablo Picasso.

These early forays into the art world led Hans and his wife Bessie on a journey of almost 70 years in which the couple amassed a collection of incredible depth and diversity.