North Dakota Heritage Center

Architect

HGA Architects and Engineers
Minneapolis, Minnesota

General Contractor

Comstock Construction
Bismarck, North Dakota

In order to accentuate the addition of a glass entrance lobby to the North Dakota Heritage Center, horizontal bands of copper panels were chosen to cover the building’s exterior and bring a unique visual element to life.  Having an ability to gradually change as it weathers and ages, the copper panels bring a distinctive, natural warmth and richness to the palette of exterior materials.  The copper utilized in this project was also a modern gesture, recalling the weathered bronze accents of the State Capitol building.  The same copper panels are pre-patinated and used inside the building, helping to unify the materiality of the center’s exterior and interior. 

In order to create a seamless addition to the existing Heritage Center building and to relate to the context of the State Capitol grounds, a majority of the new building was clad in Indiana limestone panels.  Additionally, some walls inside the State Museum Expansion were accented with the same dark granite used on prominent walls of the existing building’s entrance plaza.  The exterior design set forth for this project aspired to be both contextual and distinctive, and the use of copper made this vision possible.

Architectural Category: Flat Seam Roofs and Walls