The Building

When is a museum building more than a boxy warehouse for displaying artifacts? In the case of the Museum's planned recreation exhibition, it's when the structure is designed from the inside out.

That's what the Museum exhibit team, architect Bill Drewer, and exhibit designer Chris White have accomplished over the past several months. Sketches reveal that the waterfront building, which will be erected on Navy Point next to the Small Boat Shed, will feature an exterior of wood siding and a red metal roof. In that respect, it will reflect the traditional look of many buildings on campus and in the tidewater region.

But that's where the similarities end. To accommodate the unique visitor experience of seeing how the Chesapeake Bay has changed from a place of work to a place of play, the two-story building will boast an atrium filled with natural light, extensive views of the surrounding landscape, and a rooftop deck offering new perspectives of the Miles River, St. Michaels Harbor, and Fogg's Cove.

"Visitors will always feel connected to the out-of-doors," explained Vice President of Program Dr. Melissa McLoud. "The current design includes a yacht club lounge where visitors can relax and watch the river in air-conditioned comfort, a tackle shop where people can rummage through lures, rods, and reels and eavesdrop on fishing tales, and a 30-foot Owens cruiser that can be boarded and explored."

While the structure is not rectangular, the overall footprint is approximately 65 feet wide, 85 feet long. The sharply-pitched roof line reaches 34 feet at its highest point. The new building will allow greater public and handicapped access to the waterfront throughout the year. Construction on the building is scheduled to begin in spring 2004. The exhibit is scheduled to be open to the public in June 2005.

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