Architecture: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Design Architect (Partner in Charge: Benjamin Gilmartin)
Architect of Record: Anderson Mason Dale Architects
Exhibition Designers: Gallagher & Associates
Museum & Content Development: Barrie Projects
Landscape Architects: NES in collaboration with Hargreaves Jones
Wrapped in the genuine natural marvels of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum is an ode to the energy of the athletes of the USA, shifted into a dynamic work of architecture by the New York-based firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (partner in charge: Benjamin Gilmartin). “Every aspect of our design strategy has been motivated by the goal of expressing the extraordinary athleticism and progressive values of Team USA,” says the architect Benjamin Gilmartin.
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A dynamism narrated through structural members and materials: the façade made with over 9000 anodized aluminium panels with a diamond form – each shaped with different forms and measurements – reflects the light of Colorado Springs, giving rise to constantly evolving chromatic shadings. “A taut aluminum façade flexes and twists over the building’s dynamic pinwheel form: inside, descending galleries are organized along a continuous spiral, enabling visitors of all abilities to have a shared, common experience along a universal pathway,” Gilmartin explains.
An enveloping shape that invites guests to discover the story of the athletes narrated in the itinerary of the exhibition curated by Gallagher Associates: an inclusive, personalized tale for a unique voyage. The heart of the complex is a terraced plaza containing a large amphitheater for up to 230 viewers, ready to host events in all seasons.
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In the 5500 sqm – of which about 2000 are set aside for an avant-garde theater, an event space and a café – the museum contains 12 galleries the extend on contiguous levels, like overlapping petals wrapping the central atrium. The theater, designed with two removable seating rows to welcome up to 26 wheelchairs, opens at level 1 of the building; level 2 is for the event space, dining in an outdoor area and an education room, while the third floor is utilized for the boardroom with a panoramic terrace.
On the horizon, the evocative view of the Rocky Mountains and America the Beautiful Park, which will be connected to the museum by a futuristic Southwest Downtown Pedestrian Bridge, designed by the same team of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. “This Museum has been nearly 10 years in the making – says Christopher Liedel, CEO of USOPM – and we are excited that these incredible stories will come to life in Olympic City USA. We think the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum will be more than a sports museum. It is a museum of hopes and dreams.
Photo © Nic Lehoux, Jason O’Rear
