Laird Norton Addition at the Winona County History Center

General Contractor

Alvin E. Benike, Inc.
Rochester, Minnesota

Sheet Metal Contractor

M.G. McGrath Inc.
Maplewood, Minnesota

Located in Winona's downtown historic district overlooking the Mississippi River bluffs, the Laird Norton addition at the Winona County History Center enhances the distinctive character of the museum's 1915 Armory while establishing a welcoming architectural presence that beckons museum patrons with permanent and changing exhibits, public programming and community outreach. Occupying a former parking lot next to the existing museum, the Laird Norton addition is a contemporary design that celebrates the past in scale, material and detail.

The addition reinforces the urban street edge while respectfully taking massing cues from the existing Armory building. The second level's copper-clad form, separated by an exterior terrace to highlight the Armory's southwest corner, respectfully defers to the height and scale of the older building. A corbelled brick colonnade along Johnson Street follows the Armory's language of deep masonry openings, its telescoping rhythm moving pedestrians toward the Armory's historic entry. The addition's palette of traditional materials of copper and brick, compliments the dark brown brick of the Armory while the contemporary detailing differentiates the old from the new. The exterior copper cladding is a series of custom, 4-mm copper-faced composite wall panels fabricated from two metal facings bonded to solid, extruded thermoplastic core. The site-assembled panels are similar to horizontal lap siding and measure 12-inches high in random lengths. The panels are fastened to the back-up wall by hooking the bottom cap into the previous panel and attaching the top with cleats. The exposed mill finish allows the copper to weather gradually and patina naturally.

Visitors arrive through the Armory's historic arched entry and reconfigured vestibule. From there, they step through a large opening in the Armory's original south-facing exterior wall to the addition and its light-filled, at-grade lobby. The exposed brick wall becomes a touchstone to the past that visitors connect with as they move between the lobby, the existing gallery and the second floor of the new addition. Inside the addition, reclaimed materials form a living history within the new space. All interior millwork-floors, ceilings, stairs, and casework-is built from old-growth white pine salvaged from a neighboring livery building that once stood on the adjacent block. Indigenous limestone salvaged from a razed car dealership is used for the vestibule and terrace flooring, stair risers and elevator door frames. A large multipurpose room located on the second floor provides space for educational and community activities. Large windows frame expansive views of a historic courthouse across the street and the lobby below. The focal point inside the room is a suspended, perforated copper ceiling that relates to the copper cladding on the exterior; the panel's pattern is a modified version of the perforated wood wall in the lobby that screens the staircase leading to the second floor. The copper ceiling is a series of 4-mm copper-faced composite panels that are CNC-cut in a custom perforated pattern. The holes are carefully coordinated with the lighting, sprinklers, speakers and drop-down projector; soft acoustical material is placed directly above the copper holes for acoustical absorption. Each 29-inch by 29-inch panel is chemically treated to create a variegated copper patina and finished with wax.

Architectural Categories: Exotic or Unusual Applications, Interiors, Horizontal Seam Roofs and Walls