Cultural Projects

Ecclesiastical:

Architecture

Interiors

Owner:  City of Farmington

Location: Farmington, NM

Size: 23,000 SF

CITY OF FARMINGTON

GATEWAY MUSEUM

This new 23,000 square foot museum and visitor center replaces an outdated and overcrowded facility and enables the Farmington Museum to greatly expand its programs and establish a fresh new civic identity. This facility aids in increasing tourism and establishing the city as a cultural center in northern New Mexico.

A curving “great room” lobby organizes the Farmington Gateway Museum plan and provides a dynamic space for community events, access to all major building functions, and dramatic views of the Animas River. Each public function (visitor information, museum store, video alcove, conference center, and museum gallery) has its own special architectural identity, effectively establishing a “village of activities” within the museum. To accommodate a diversity of exhibits, the high-bay museum gallery is highly flexible and easily expandable.

The architectural design and material palette reflects the region’s unique cultural history, the indigenous landscape, and “cutting edge” building technology. Stacked sandstone walls recall nearby ancient Anasazi ruins and compliment surrounding sandstone bluffs while exposed steel, metal wall panels, and glass construction acknowledge today’s most current and exciting building practices. Special building features include a sixty foot tall steel and glass light tower that creates a cultural beacon and establishes at its base a skylit information center.

Photos by Kirk Gittings

© RMKM Architecture, P.C.  2012.  All rights reserved.

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