MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER| Mashantucket, CT | 320,000 GSF
2000 | Susan T. Rodriguez (Design Partner, Ennead Architects, formerly Polshek Partnership)
The design of the building creates a powerful three-dimensional identity that celebrates the history of the Mashantucket Pequot nation. Inspired by the ecological and archeological value of the site and the tribe’s historic dependence on both inland agricultural and aquatic zones, the building provides a visual, spatial and textural link to the cultural heritage of the Pequot tribe. The circular plan of the original Mystic Fort, site of the 1637 massacre, is a symbol for the Mashantucket Pequot nation and informs the overall geometry of the building. This facility contains a permanent exhibit , a temporary gallery, a 150,000-volume library, children’s library, archeology laboratory, auditorium, collections storage, herbarium and botany laboratory. The Center’s three principal program elements: the circular Gathering Space, the heart of the facility; the Museum, situated below the undulating roof terrace; and the Research Center, the organizational and programmatic spine of the building define the primary elements of the building. The building in punctuated by a 200-foot-tall tower to the east which marks the entry, identifies the facility from a distance and provides views of the entire reservation.
Awards | AIA National Honor Award, Architecture, 2000; AIA Connecticut, Award of Honor, 2000; NYACE Platinum Award for Excellence in Structural Design, New York Association of Consulting Engineers, 2000; AIA New England Design Awards, Award of Merit; AIA/New York State, Award of Merit, 1999; Innovative Design and Excellence in Architecture with Steel Award/American Institute of Steel Construction, 1999; The Chicago Athenaeum, American Architecture Award, 1998; Best of 1998 Award, New York Construction News, 1998
Photo Credit | Jeff Goldberg / Esto
