With a collection of over 250,000 historic photographs and artifacts of agrarian and maritime culture of the Oregon Coast, the Coos History Museum and Maritime Collection had outgrown its previous home.
In 2000, a grant initiated a search for a new facility, but the grant stipulated the new museum be located on Highway 101 to provide a development catalyst for the historic wharf at Coos Bay. The museum’s new site is on the wharf at the gateway to Coos Bay with historic docks on the east, a cove to the south, and the historic roadway to the west. A future development will eventually rise to the north.
The goal for the design of the museum, which bridges the history of the region through stories of the Coos and Coquille Tribes, coal miners, loggers, farmers, and shipbuilders, was to create a building that paid tribute to the past while serving as a beacon for change along the waterfront.
Photo courtesy of Signal Architecture & Research.
The resulting building has a simple barnlike form inspired by waterfront industrial facilities. A light well pierces the barn-shaped volume and provides a visual cue for circulation, stairs, and a central focal point from highway 101. A gift shop, multi-purpose space, and a large gallery are located on the ground floor. The second floor is dedicated to staff and volunteer offices, boardrooms, archives, and travelling gallery mezzanine. A stair tower serves as a repository for tall exhibits that require a 40-foot-tall exhibit space.
Miller Hull Partnership was the Architect of Record for the project and Signal Architecture & Research was the Project Design Lead.
Related Stories
| Jan 28, 2014
Big Ten Conference opens swanky HQ and museum [slideshow]
The new mixed-use headquarters includes a museum, broadcast studios, conference facilities, office spaces, and, oh yeah, a Brazilian steakhouse.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Dec 30, 2013
Calatrava facing legal action from his home town over crumbling cultural complex
Officials with the city of Valencia, Spain, are blaming Santiago Calatrava for the rapid deterioration of buildings within its City of Arts and Sciences complex.
| Dec 19, 2013
Mastering the art of crowd control and visitor flow in interpretive facilities
To say that visitor facility planning and design is challenging is an understatement. There are many factors that determine the success of a facility. Unfortunately, visitor flow, the way people move and how the facility accommodates those movements, isn’t always specifically considered.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Nov 27, 2013
BIG's 'oil and vinegar' design wins competition for the Museum of the Human Body [slideshow]
The winning submission by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and A+ Architecture mixes urban pavement and parkland in a flowing, organic plan, like oil and vinegar, explains Bjarke Ingels.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
