A National Historic Landmark, the quirky Mercer Museum is recognized for its unique concrete construction and its fabulous collection of historical artifacts. The museum required an expansion to update the museum services and a new gallery  but needed to keep the massing of this new area low enough not to obscure important views of the building.

Our design sought to reflect the original building’s construction methodologies in a modern way, to present upgraded and environmentally conscious new systems, and improve access for both the new and original site.

To begin, we constructed a changing exhibition gallery along with accompanying loading dock and storage, an accessible primary entry lobby with modern amenities and a gift shop, and spaces for visitor orientation and engagement, including a multi-purpose classroom. Windows and large skylights in the new grand entry hall allow immediate views of the original museum while the board-formed poured-in-place concrete structure and white concrete floors evoke the primary museum building. The great hall also services as a popular venue for fundraisers, wedding receptions, and community events. A semi-private paved terrace is a focal point at the end of the hall and extends the events to outside. Lastly, site work included pedestrian and vehicular access, drop-off, expanded car and bus parking, and sustainable stormwater management like a green roof, previous paving, and a rain garden.

PUBLICATIONS

• "Changing Skyline: Mercer Museum Adds Space with a Well-Crafted Concrete Addition" by Inga Saffron. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 24 June 2011.
• Museum Design: Architecture, Culture, Geographic Environment. Sendpoints Publishing: Hong Kong, 2015.
• “Debuts: The Mercer Museum, New Wing.” Museum, September/October 2011.