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Minnesota History Center

St. Paul, Minnesota

The Minnesota History Center design was selected through a national competition. HGA's winning design was lauded by Minnesota Historical Society Director Russell Fridley as "a brilliant design that took a site with problems and made it into a landmark on the horizon of Saint Paul." The winning design is an L-shaped configuration set into a hillside in downtown Saint Paul. On two sides, the building facade echoes the formal classicism of the Minnesota State Capitol, while to the southeast it encloses a terraced courtyard, creating an outdoor room for special exhibitions, performances, picnics and governmental proclamations. At the heart of the History Center is the Great Hall, a lively sunlit space at the crossroads of the Center's two axes. This is where visitors arrive to view the collections, use the reference archives or attend special programs. The building is organized on six levels, three of which provide 300,000 sf of archival storage below grade. The three public levels feature 40,000 sf of galleries, auditorium, restaurant, education wing and separate gift shops for adults and children. related quote
"A brilliant design that took a site with problems and made it into a landmark on the horizon of Saint Paul."

- Russell Fridley
Minnesota Historical Society Director

Located on a site that is both promontory and an island, the History Center rises from its broad granite base in a manner reminiscent of the forts constructed during the early settlement of the Minnesota Territory. Within this strong, protected base are housed the priceless collections of the Historical Society, a literal and symbolic foundation for the study of Minnesota history. Above this solid base the public activities of the History Center enliven an architecture that looks both inward to exhibition galleries, classrooms and the collections themselves; and outward to the Center's outdoor exhibitions, to neighboring historical landmarks, and even to the distant valley of the Mississippi River.

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