Project Description
BVH Architecture provided architectural and engineering services to develop a comprehensive master plan for the renovation and rehabilitation of the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, located in Grand Island, Nebraska. The museum and site were designed by renowned modernist architect Edward Durell Stone in 1963 and remains his only existing building in Nebraska.
The BVH team utilized a collaborative process engaging the museum staff, foundation and governing board in a process to determine the museum’s future needs for collections and interpretation. Among the goals and mission of the organization was for a sensitive design to be crafted to retain the museum’s identity as a landmark and an iconic cultural center within the community. The plan included treatment recommendations for the building envelope, interior finishes, structural stabilization, HVAC system replacement and code, fire protection, life safety and accessibility modification. These new systems were carefully designed to work with the historic building fabric while remaining non-obtrusive to the patron experience.
The Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation were used to guide treatment recommendations for the building, and the museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.