Architect: Watson Tate Savory
Project Location: Columbia, SC
Project Completion Date: 2014
Short Description: Housed in an 1892 National Register former cotton mill, this project adds a planetarium, an observatory and a 4D theater to a state museum, while simultaneously simplifying circulation to enhance visitor experience. Throughout the design process, the architects coordinated closely with the South Carolina Department of Archives & History to maintain and, in many cases, improve the integrity of the historic structure. Two monumental additions, the new entry and the planetarium enclosure, lightly engage the original building, in counterpoint to the historic, heavy masonry. New interior elements reintroduce the building’s industrial-textile history, utilizing woven mesh panels and industrial detailing.
Architect’s Statement: A 1980’s renovation of this historic cotton mill provided homes for both the state department of revenue and the state museum, with entries to each
Type of Construction: Steel and heavy timber.
Tower Award Description: Housed in an 1892 National Register former cotton mill, this project adds a planetarium, an observatory and a 4D theater to a state museum, while simultaneously simplifying circulation to enhance visitor experience. Throughout the design process, the architects coordinated closely with the South Carolina Department of Archives & History to maintain and, in many cases, improve the integrity of the historic structure. Two monumental additions, the new entry and the planetarium enclosure, lightly engage the original building, in counterpoint to the historic, heavy masonry. New interior elements reintroduce the building’s industrial-textile history, utilizing woven mesh panels and industrial detailing.
Tower Award– Architect’s Statement Concerning Design Program and Solution: A 1980’s renovation of this historic cotton mill provided homes for both the state department of revenue and the state museum, with entries to each off a common lobby. While an acrylic-roofed space frame marked the main lobby entry, individual entries to both tenant spaces were unceremonious and confusing to first-time visitors. With the relocation of the department of revenue, the opportunity arose for the museum to expand and claim the “front door” creating a new entry, centered on the south-facing front façade. Working with a team of specialty consultants, including experience & exhibit and digital theater designers, the architects explored several early concepts, vetting each with the state historic preservation office. Primary to each concept was the placement of five program components: a 200-seat capacity planetarium; a 25-seat capacity 4-D theater; an observatory and collection of rare telescopes; and relocation of the gift shop. One early concept proposed designing all new components as additions, while another proposed removing existing floors and placing new components as free-standing forms within the empty volume. The final concept takes a more restrained approach, repurposing existing spaces, uncovering and rehabilitating original interiors at the ground level, and expanding lightly, in deference to the historic façade. Placed directly on center, set back from the historic façade, the observatory dome marks the entry. Visitors arrive through a multi-story glass box, crossing under a steel tripod supporting the observatory telescope and protecting it from vibration. Prior to arriving at the ticket counter, visitors move through open, rehabilitated exhibit space on the first and second floors that was previously dedicated to outer lobby and storage. Beyond the exhibit space, to the east, the planetarium is housed in a glass and stucco enclosure. This mostly transparent addition responds in counterpoint to the historic heavy masonry, and is slightly held away from the existing building by a reveal in the curtain wall. The gift shop is relocated to the left side of the lobby to simplify the flow of traffic through the museum, and the existing auditorium is repurposed as a 4-D theater. In both the 4-D theater and the gift shop, weaving and textile-related themes are evoked, directly through photography and more subtly through textures and patterns, to recall the mill’s original function. Detailing and colors throughout the renovation are inspired by nineteenth century industrial architecture and the existing building itself, in contrast to the smoother finishes and systems, and lighter color palette introduced at the planetarium.
Tower Award Lessons Learned: Working with heavy timber construction requires a significant amount of code interpretation including fire rating assessment. Working closely with code officials and the Authority Having Jurisdiction is critical throughout the design process in this type of construction, especially when introducing contemporary construction, in order to ensure code interpretations and life safety requirements have been met.
Tower Award Project Economics: Part of the design strategy was to reclaim and revitalize the heritage of the existing original cotton mill. Therefore, every effort was made to re-purpose and celebrate elements and features that were already existing in the building and that were original structure and finishes: building components that were free.