For Immediate Release: August 8, 2008
HGA to Design Addition to Winona County Historical Society Museum
Minneapolis, MN - HGA Architects and Engineers has been selected to design an addition and remodeling to the Winona County Historical Society Museum, currently housed in the historic 1915 National Guard Armory building in downtown Winona. The $4.5 million addition and remodeling will allow the Historical Society to increase educational programming, exhibition, and collection-storage space.
HGA was selected for its design expertise and demonstrated sensitivity to Winona County's history and goals, according to Mark Peterson, Executive Director of the Winona County Historical Society.
"We are honored to have been selected to design the new addition to Winona County Historical Society," says Joan M. Soranno, AIA, Design Principal. "We are attracted by the unique challenges of this project. We will be creating a new facility while respecting the rich history and fabric of the city and county. It is our vision for the new building that it will add to the rich architectural legacy of Winona."
Design Features
Located on an undeveloped lot next to the existing museum, the three-story, 12,000-square-foot addition includes a new lobby, multipurpose room for 150 people, outdoor terrace, expanded artifact and archive storage, gift shop, and support spaces.
The addition takes advantage of natural light and views to the historic Winona County Courthouse across the street. In scale and material, the addition relates to the historic Armory with a modern sensibility. The street-level facade features a contemporary, roman-brick colonnade that follows the deep recesses of the historic Armory windows and doors, heightening the play of light and shadow. The second-level multipurpose room with copper cladding features expansive windows and an adjacent outdoor terrace. From the terrace, visitors can look out over the downtown streetscape and out toward the Mississippi River bluffs. The restored arched entry to the historic Armory will serve as the main museum entry. Interior material details include Biesanz stone from Winona and salvaged wood from an existing historic building nearby.
The design will consider LEEDŽ sustainable-design principles through the use of salvaged wood, locally produced stone and other building materials, energy-efficient mechanical systems, and other sustainable strategies.
The addition is scheduled to open in 2010 to celebrate the Winona County Historical Society's 75th anniversary.
Background
The Winona County Historical Society documents urban and rural life throughout Winona County. The Historical Society holds an extensive artifact collection, including manuscripts, documents and photographs in the Laird Lucas Memorial Library %26 Archives in the museum's lower level.
HGA Contact: Julie Luers (612) 758-4000 e-mail JLuers@hga.com
Media Contact: Susan Evans, Evans Larson (612) 338-6999 e-mail susan@evanslarson.com