 |
|
Memorial Hall’s famed 60-foot dome and granite façade were restored as part of an $88 million adaptive-reuse project for the Please Touch Museum. |
Built in 1875 to serve as the art gallery for the Centennial International Exhibition in Fairmount Park, Memorial Hall stands as one of the great civic structures in Philadelphia. The neoclassical building, designed by Fairmount Park Commission engineer Hermann J. Schwarzmann, was one of the first buildings in America to be designed according to the principles of the Beaux Arts movement. Its signature design, highlighted by an iron-and-glass dome adorned with a 23-foot-tall statue of Columbia, has been emulated by architects across the globe, including those of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Detroit Institute of Art.
Despite its celebrated past and prominence in the worldwide architecture community, by the 1950s years of delayed maintenance and neglect had left Memorial Hall in dire need of restoration. The situation was exacerbated by a revolving door of tenants that included an industrial arts school, an art museum, a recreation center, a sound recording studio, even a police station. In 2000, the building had to be closed to the public.
In 2002, Memorial Hall received a much-needed jolt when the Please Touch Museum finalized plans to relocate there. The $88 million restoration and adaptive-reuse project took nearly six years from concept through construction, which concluded with the grand opening on October 18, 2008. The project entailed a complete restoration of the exterior granite façade, the 60-foot dome, and all interior paint, plaster, and marble—as well as construction of an addition that houses the museum's cherished, hundred-year-old Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel.
The team cleverly adapted the existing spaces for the exhibits and museum functions. An indoor swimming pool added in 1962 presented the perfect location to “plant” a soaring artificial tree for the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland exhibit. A dark, decrepit maintenance tunnel in the rear of the building was converted into a bright, colorful entrance for large groups walking from the bus drop-off area.
The Reconstruction Awards judges praised the Building Team for saving an architectural masterpiece while also benefiting the community with a world-class children's museum.
“Philadelphia really needed this museum because there's really not a lot for the kids in that area to do,” said judge David P. Callan, PE, LEED AP, SVP with Environmental Systems Design, Chicago. — Dave Barista, Managing Editor
Related Stories
Museums | Apr 10, 2015
Henning Larsen Architects designs timber museum extension in Sweden
The new extension will complement Österund’s wooded surroundings
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
9/11 museum triumphs over controversy
The Building Team for this highly visible project had much more than design, engineering, and construction problems to deal with.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 7, 2015
Mies’ Martin Luther King Jr. Library to get makeover
The architects say the modernization aims to improve “Mies in a contemporary Miesian way.”
Cultural Facilities | Apr 6, 2015
Berkeley’s West Branch Library generates more energy than it uses
The 9,400-sf facility is California's first Net Zero Energy-certified building.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 31, 2015
Pratt Institute to offer first-ever degree in placemaking
As part of its new Urban Placemaking and Management degree, Pratt will offer courses on topics such as "the history and theory of public space" and the "economics of place."
Structural Materials | Mar 30, 2015
12 projects earn structural steel industry's top building award
Calatrava's soaring Innovation Science and Technology Building at Florida Polytechnic University is among the 12 projects honored by the American Institute of Steel Construction in the 2015 IDEAS² awards competition.Â
Cultural Facilities | Mar 30, 2015
Designs released for new entertainment center in Lubbock, Texas
Amenities of the facility include a performance venue that seats 2,220, a smaller one that seats 425, a 6,000-sf multipurpose room, and a bistro café.
Religious Facilities | Mar 23, 2015
Is nothing sacred? Seattle church to become a restaurant and ballroom
A Seattle-based real estate developer plans to convert a historic downtown building, which for more than a century has served as a church sanctuary, into a restaurant with ballroom space.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 17, 2015
The High Line’s co-designer wins contract for The Underline in Miami
James Corner Field Operations will design the master plan for this 10-mile restoration project.Â
Cultural Facilities | Mar 13, 2015
New Orleans observation tower to feature 320-foot double-helix gondola ride
Tricentennial Tower will take visitors on a 300-year journey through the city's history before landing them at the top for a 360-degree view of the Crescent City.
