Located at the base of the Gateway Arch, this underground museum explores seminal events in American history, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. The 46,000-sf addition and 100,000-sf renovation represented the facility’s first reconstruction work since the Museum of Westward Expansion opened in 1976.
The project team had to work mostly below ground and within the National Register–listed landscape. The Mississippi River flooded twice during construction.
The team traveled to Germany to review and approve the glass fabricator’s mockup of the canopy enclosure system for the new 2,000-sf west entrance. A reinforced cast-in-place post-tensioned concrete lid beam and slab system spans 80 feet over the museum addition.
Alper Audi and McCarthy Building Companies co-developed a concrete mockup with sensors that enabled the team to make sure that temperatures achieved during curing were within recommended tolerances for the 2,400 cubic yards of concrete that were used.
The mezzanine features a giant map of North America where visitors can walk the path of explorers Lewis and Clark.
The project team routed ductwork and piping through a mechanical tunnel from the existing mechanical room to and through the exhibit level, up a vertical cast-in-place concrete chase in the mezzanine, and across an underground duct system at entry level.
MEP systems were overhauled and reconfigured, resulting in the removal of 11 of 15 heating units and adding new systems inside ground-level mechanical rooms for easier maintenance.
GOLD AWARD WINNER
BUILDING TEAM IMEG Corp. (submitting firm, ME, telecommunications engineer) National Park Service, Gateway Arch Park Foundation (owners) Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (architect for City Arch River Initiative) Cooper Robertson (museum design architect) James Carpenter Design Associates, Trivers Associates (associate architects) Alper Audi (SE) KAI (PE) Castle Contracting (earthwork/utilities contractor) David Mason + Associates (CE) National Park Service Denver Service Center (PM) Eckersley O’Callaghan (façade engineer) Haley Sharpe Design (exhibit designer) Shen Milsom & Wilke (A/V) Tillotson Design Associates (lighting) Jaffe Holden (acoustics) Alpha Corporation (CM) McCarthy Building Companies (GC) DETAILS 146,000 sf Total cost $176.4 million Construction time April 2015 to June 2018 Delivery method Design-bid-build
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Rescue mission: Historic movie palace is now the centerpiece of Baltimore’s burgeoning arts hub
In restoring the theater, the design team employed what it calls a “rescued ruin” preservation approach.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Gothic revival: The nation’s first residential college is meticulously restored
This project involved the renovation and restoration of the 57,000-sf hall, and the construction of a 4,200-sf addition.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017
Rockefeller remake: Iconic New York tower is modernized for its next life
To make way for new ground-floor retail and a more dramatic entrance and lobby, the team removed four columns at the ground floor.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 30, 2017
BD+C's 2017 Reconstruction Award Winners
Provo City Center Temple, the Union Trust Building, and the General Motors Factory One are just a few of the projects recognized as 2017 Reconstruction Award winners.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017
College credit: Historic rehab saves 50% on energy costs
The project team conducted surveys of students, faculty, and staff to get their input.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017
Amazing grace: Renovation turns a church into elegant condos
The windows became The Sanctuary’s chief sales edge.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 28, 2017
Broadway melody: Glass walls set just the right tone for a historic lobby in Lower Manhattan
The adaptation of the 45,000-sf neoclassical lobby at 195 Broadway created three retail spaces and a public walkway.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017
Higher education: The rebirth of a Washington, D.C., high school
The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017
Bank statement: A project team saves a historic bank, yielding 100% leaseup for the developer
The project team had to fix poor renovations made in the ’50s.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017
Patient friendly: The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care and Discovery adds 203 new beds
Strict infection control and life safety measures were implemented to protect patients on other floors as work proceeded.
