Architectural Partners was engaged by the newly organized Amazement Square Children’s Museum in 1995 to adapt a 30,000 sq. ft. historic warehouse building into an interactive, hands-on museum for children from toddlers to teens. The program demanded that the design exercise a creative use of space, that the environment inspire a feeling of excitement and exploration, that the building’s historic architecture be preserved and celebrated, and that the building’s historic connection to the railroad and the river be expressed.
When the development of a museum finally became a reality, Architectural Partners provided full design services for the adaptive use of this historic 19th century riverfront landmark. The design celebrates the building’s historic architecture by retaining and refurbishing the exposed features of its original structure and through the introduction of a central steel climbing structure, the “Amazement Tower”, which penetrates and weaves through the core of the building from basement to rooftop reinforcing the existing building’s structure. This structure, composed of stone, rich red brick, and hefty timber wood members, serves as the housing and backdrop for newly integrated building systems and a series of dynamic museum exhibits. Since opening its doors, the museum has exceeded its projections for visitation and has established itself as the premier children’s museum in the region winning many prestigious national awards.