It seems like the new Barnes Foundation building will be a "polite" neighbor when it finally is constructed on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Earlier this month, the Barnes Foundation unveiled the designs for its new gallery, scheduled to open along the Parkway in 2011.

Derek Gillman, executive director and president of the Barnes Foundation, said the new building - the first addition to the historic parkway in more than 60 years - will be a welcome addition to the Art Museum area.

"I think Philadelphia is a great city," he said during an interview on Tuesday. "It will be a great addition to the Parkway."

Designed by the New York-based husband-and-wife team of Tod William and Billie Tsien, the plans for the new gallery received high praise when they were unveiled.

As proposed, the building will be a two-story, 93,000-square-foot complex with more than 12,000 square feet of exhibition space to display the famous Albert C. Barnes collection.

During his lifetime, Barnes established one of the world's largest collections of French Impressionist art as well as Post-Impressionist and early modern art paintings, along with some 8,000 other odd pieces ranging from Amish folk art to African tribal masks. It is widely considered to be priceless.

Gillman said the new gallery will boast a number of new features that will not only showcase the famous collection, but would provide visitors with the best possible views of the gathered works.

"You will see the collection as well as it can possibly be shown," he said.

The building will feature a glass canopy that will filter natural light into the galleries, and in the evening, the space will be lit by a softly glowing beacon.

Gillman said that, through 21st century technology, not available during Barnes' lifetime, the new gallery will be able to control light to provide the best viewing opportunities at all times.

But, he promised the works would be displayed much as they are now at Barnes' former home in Merion.

"It will be displayed as it is in Merion," he said. "But, it will be beautifully lit."

For those living in the neighborhood, Gillman said the first things they would notice about the new gallery would be plenty of new trees.

"You'll see a lot of new trees out on the Parkway," he said. "You'll see some spectacular gardens around the site."

In working with landscape architect Laurie Olin, the architects have designed what they call a "gallery in a garden" throughout the 4.5-acre site.

It's intended to honor the arboretum surrounding the original Barnes facility while connecting the new gallery space to the Parkway and to the nearby Rodin Museum.

"That's what's really nice for the neighborhood," he said of the landscaping element of the project. "Pedestrians can walk from the Barnes to the Parkway ... There's also landscaping at the Rodin Museum. That's a great give back to the neighborhood."

The building's facade, he said, would have a contemporary, yet classical, look that he believes neighbors will feel fits the aesthetic aspects of the surrounding historic buildings.

By utilizing a gray-and-gold exterior made of Ramon limestone, Gillman said, the building would fit nicely into the fabric of the Parkway.

"You'll see this collection of a light reflecting stone set against a cool background," he said. "It will be very polite."

Also, Gillman said, the gallery would provide sufficient space for the foundation's educational aspects by including classrooms in the new gallery along with a 150-seat auditorium space. There will also be a 5,000-square-foot space for special exhibitions.

This room will have 16-foot-high walls to accommodate large-scale exhibitions.

The Barnes Foundation's trustees are hoping to have the $150 million gallery built by late 2011, and they hope to begin construction this fall.

While Gillman was happy to discuss the new gallery's place in the city, he's not the only one excited about the new location of the Barnes.

City Councilman Darrell Clarke (D-5th dist.), whose district encompasses much of the Parkway, said he loves the look of the new building and he believes it will be a welcome gallery in the city's "museum mile."

"It's probably not a mile, but we call it that," the councilman joked about the Parkway. "The Parkway is one of those things that doesn't need fixing from an aesthetic point. But, (with the design for the Barnes) I think they did a good job. It flows in with other buildings, but it has a contemporary feel in its surroundings."

Clarke acknowledged that some oppose the Barnes Foundation's decision to move the collection from its current location and into the city, but he believes that by showcasing the works in Philadelphia, more visitors will be able to view and learn from the work Barnes collected.

"I hate that it's caught up in this controversy," he said of the collection. "This gives people the opportunity to see it and it will contribute to tourism. I think it will make a significant impact on Philadelphia and the region."

Reporter Hayden Mitman can be reached at 215-354-3124 or hmitman@phillynews.com