Together with the Milwaukee Public Museum, Kahler Slater and Ennead Architects have unveiled the design for the new 200,000 square foot museum building, set on a 2.4 acre site in the burgeoning Haymarket neighborhood of Milwaukee. Four core principles influenced the design – community, nature, education, and the preservation of the museum’s vast collections. The new building is slated to break ground in late 2023 and open in 2026.The team of Kahler Slater and Ennead Architects developed a design that reflects Wisconsin's rich natural history, while creating a welcoming new community anchor and an indispensable educational destination for lifelong learners of all ages and backgrounds. The museum will also be a hub for research, continuing the institution’s legacy since 1884 of scientific contribution that makes an impact across the state, and around the world.The team drew inspiration from the ecological histories of Milwaukee and greater Wisconsin. The design of the new museum will be reminiscent of the geological formations contained within Mill Bluff State Park, emblematic of the region's diversity of landscapes formed by the movements of water through time. The building will be primarily a concrete and glass structure, with an exterior texture that will mirror the ancient sea stacks present in Mill Bluff State Park. The new museum will have rounded corners that evoke the erosion and weathering of the glacial landscapes that shaped much of Wisconsin and evolved over time. The convergence of Milwaukee's three rivers—the Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic, and Menomonee—inspire the museum's interior commons, whose three distinct entrances welcome visitors into a dynamic gathering space.The new museum will be a five-story, 200,000 square foot structure. The exhibit spaces, which will be designed by Thinc, will include permanent and changing galleries of multi-sensory exhibits. “It’s thrilling to see the vision for the new museum building, including the inspiration our collaborative team of designers has drawn from the community and the interconnected natural ecosystems of Wisconsin.Located on the corner of Sixth and Vliet Streets, the new museum will include two gardens for visitors to enjoy: one will be located near the entrance to the museum and one on the rooftop, which will house native Milwaukee flora in an effort to reintroduce them into Milwaukee’s urban environment. On the rooftop, there will be permanent exhibits and a butterfly vivarium, a signature exhibit piece. Together with landscape architect GGN, the museum will redefine the Historic Haymarket city edge, bringing a human scale to this part of the urban core and creating a new and beloved civic space, adding to the lexicon of public urban gathering spaces around Milwaukee. Additionally, the museum will house a planetarium, office and lab space, classrooms and flexible space, dining, and collections storage.
Together with the Milwaukee Public Museum, Kahler Slater and Ennead Architects have unveiled the design for the new 200,000 square foot museum building, set on a 2.4 acre site in the burgeoning Haymarket neighborhood of Milwaukee. Four core principles influenced the design – community, nature, education, and the preservation of the museum’s vast collections. The new building is slated to break ground in late 2023 and open in 2026.The team of Kahler Slater and Ennead Architects developed a design that reflects Wisconsin's rich natural history, while creating a welcoming new community anchor and an indispensable educational destination for lifelong learners of all ages and backgrounds. The museum will also be a hub for research, continuing the institution’s legacy since 1884 of scientific contribution that makes an impact across the state, and around the world.The team drew inspiration from the ecological histories of Milwaukee and greater Wisconsin. The design of the new museum will be reminiscent of the geological formations contained within Mill Bluff State Park, emblematic of the region's diversity of landscapes formed by the movements of water through time. The building will be primarily a concrete and glass structure, with an exterior texture that will mirror the ancient sea stacks present in Mill Bluff State Park. The new museum will have rounded corners that evoke the erosion and weathering of the glacial landscapes that shaped much of Wisconsin and evolved over time. The convergence of Milwaukee's three rivers—the Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic, and Menomonee—inspire the museum's interior commons, whose three distinct entrances welcome visitors into a dynamic gathering space.The new museum will be a five-story, 200,000 square foot structure. The exhibit spaces, which will be designed by Thinc, will include permanent and changing galleries of multi-sensory exhibits. “It’s thrilling to see the vision for the new museum building, including the inspiration our collaborative team of designers has drawn from the community and the interconnected natural ecosystems of Wisconsin.Located on the corner of Sixth and Vliet Streets, the new museum will include two gardens for visitors to enjoy: one will be located near the entrance to the museum and one on the rooftop, which will house native Milwaukee flora in an effort to reintroduce them into Milwaukee’s urban environment. On the rooftop, there will be permanent exhibits and a butterfly vivarium, a signature exhibit piece. Together with landscape architect GGN, the museum will redefine the Historic Haymarket city edge, bringing a human scale to this part of the urban core and creating a new and beloved civic space, adding to the lexicon of public urban gathering spaces around Milwaukee. Additionally, the museum will house a planetarium, office and lab space, classrooms and flexible space, dining, and collections storage.
