The groundbreaking museum design, created by nationally renowed architecture firm Ellerbe Becket, includes open atriums, glass walls and other unique features that will provide learners with clear sightlines and a memorable visit.
At the core of the new museum’s design are four guiding principles:
- To serve the mission of the Science Museum well into the next century
- To engage people of all ages, cultures and points of view
- To provide a fundamentally unique visitor experience
- To create a vital place in the city of St. Paul
These principles resulted in easy visitor wayfinding throughout the museum, as well as impressive connections to the Mississippi River and downtown St. Paul.
“There’s nothing mysterious or magical about it,” said Ellerbe Becket lead designer Andy Cers, with regard to the design vision of the new museum. “The vision is based on a lot of upfront thinking by the museum. The design challenge was to make this a potent reality, not to dismiss this as just words. Through lots of discussion with museum officials, input from the community and fully exploring the possibilities of the site, we have a design that we believe successfully incorporates each of the four design principles.”
Ellerbe Becket designers and Science Museum staff spent many hours designing a successful museum experience for visitors. They knew that most large museums are a virtual maze for visitors and were determined to avoid this common museum problem. They focused on finding the best way for visitors to arrive and move through the new facility, striving to learn from the experiences of other museums.
“Clear wayfinding is critical, but a good museum also needs to offer surprises. You want people to feel a bit of mystery and anticipation … what is around that next corner?” said Cers. Built into the architecture, according to Cers, are “unexpected vistas, several big ‘wows,’ and visual glimpses from level to level,” all serving to make a visit to the museum more fun.
“While many museums are interior-focused, the new Science Museum is engaged with its surroundings,” said Ellerbe Becket principal David Loehr. “This project is a significant first step in advancing new riverfront development in the city of St. Paul.” In addition to ten acres of outdoor parks, there is also a new outdoor exhibit area. With a glass lobby facing downtown and views of the riverfront on the other side, the design of the museum incorporates the city of St. Paul and the Mississippi River, bringing a broader benefit and sense of inclusion to the community. “Free public pathways cross the site, connecting downtown to the river and surrounding neighborhoods, making it inviting to explore the area,” said Loehr.
Ellerbe Becket has experience designing for the needs of the Twin Cities. The locally based firm celebrates its 90th anniversary in 1999. When Franklin Ellerbe opened for business in 1909 in borrowed drafting space in St. Paul, he had no way of knowing that his fledgling design shop would someday become one of the country’s largest full-service design firms. Today, Ellerbe Becket is a celebrated name in American architecture, and is well on its way to establishing a similar reputation worldwide.
The firm’s more than 700 employees can point with pride to icon structures such as the Mayo Clinic, the Centennial Olympic Stadium and Los Angeles International Airport, as well as the daring new Kingdom Centre high-rise in Saudi Arabia.
Closer to home, Ellerbe Becket designed the 1931 art deco-style St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse, and more recently Target Corporate Headquarters and U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Center now under construction in downtown Minneapolis.
