The Paintshop Project Proposal

paintshop PROJECT PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

the site georgia state railroad museum

louisville rd residential complex 750 + residents

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

scad dormitories 8 thousand students

savannah historic district largest toursit spending population

garrisson school for the arts

half mile radius of the site

146,444 people total number of residents

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

savannah demographics

8 million

dollars spent by visitors

day trippers

current users

families

$2.9 billion

6.1 million

overnight visitors

$2.5 billion lodging and food

current challenges

school groups

train enthusiasts

financial investments

wider toursit audience

underserved communities

potential users

tourists large population of tourists within a mile of the site

SCAD students 8 thousand students within a mile of the site

local artists high demand for studios and exhibition space

underserved communities the smallest visitor demographic of the museum

garrison students 750 students + 58 teachers across the street

market analysis From tourism to a deepwater port to a major airbase and aerospace, there is no denying that Savannah possesses a solid economic foundation and undeniable potential for the success of paintshop PROJECT. The paintshop PROJECT is the future home to a neighborhood eatery, a locally inspired market, artist residencies, small office spaces, a museum, one small event space, and one ample event space for contemporary art, film, and more. Hence the project benefits a broad audience from students to locals and tourists through an experiencedriven business model that takes full recognition of the historic railroad site as a source of inspiration.

The city of Savannah alone contains a promising audience for a new development. Savannah is the third-largest metropolitan center in Georgia, with an estimated population of 146,444 people. Furthermore, 59% of the population is between the ages of 35 and 54, which, according to the United Bureau of Statistics, is the highest spending group in America (USA Bureau 2019). In addition to favorable age demographics, the location of the paintshop PROJECT aids in the potential success of the establishment. The site is close in proximity to student housing, schools, a new medium to high-income housing development, hotels, and within a one-mile radius of the Historic District of Savannah, the most frequented part of town by tourists.

From a proximity perspective, the site is adjacent to the Garrison School for the arts and several major Savannah College of Art and Design dormitories. The Garrison school, located on West Jones Street, has 757 students and 53 teachers who could take advantage of the food establishment within the site, as well as the various artistic, educational experiences the project plans to promote through visiting exhibitions, local artists, and events (Garrison School 2020). In addition to the Garrison school, several major Savannah College of Art and Design dormitories are within less than a one-mile radius from the proposed project. The SCAD dorms near the site are home to over 8 thousand students, which all fall under the potential user categories for a restaurant, market place, art exhibits, artists residencies, and even possible student internship opportunities (SCAD 2020).

Heritage tourists constitute a significant target audience to the paintshop PROJECT due to the focus the development has on the preservation of the historic Antebellum railroad. Tourism is a powerful economic driver in Savannah, each year attracting millions of visitors to its cobblestone streets, parks, and notable historic buildings. In 2018, Savannah received 8 million overnight visitors and 6.1 million daytrippers. Tourists alone spent around $2.9 billion in the city, with 2.5 billion in lodging and food alone (Nussbaum 2018). The thriving historic district and waterfront draw visitors and hotel development will continue to be very strong. According to Airbnb, Savannah is at the top of many people’s dream U.S. destinations. Travel+Leisure ranks Savannah as the nation’s third-best travel destination. Savannah is a premier destination for national conventions, trade shows, and meetings. Tourism and convention business will continue to be one of the fastestgrowing sectors of Savannah’s economy, reflecting substantial investments in the area’s infrastructure (Humprey 2019).

Furthermore, Savannah has very seldom locations for contemporary art located in its historic district. Of the existing spaces, very few, if any, portray the historic and adaptive reuse of spaces that Savannah holds close to its character. The paintshop PROJECT would exhibit

contemporary pieces within its walls as well as showcasing the building itself. Through an adaptive reuse mindset, the space is not only contributing to Savannah’s identity of reuse and conversion, but also allowing for an influx of designers, artists, and creators to use this space. Savannah has a strong appreciation for the arts and supporting more areas for artists to come and exhibit their work only grows that recognition.

With the future construction of the new Savannah Stadium a few hundred yards away, the stadium site will draw in more visitors to Savannah for destination events. With these new visitors, new users of the GCRM will be likely, and admission to the paintshop PROJECT will increase.

The influence of the Savannah Stadium is predicted to bring more commerce and tourism to the city, thus creating a potential need or want for more contemporary art galleries.

The choice of adaptive reuse is, in and of itself, a powerful marketing tool for the paintshop PROJECT, allowing the developers of the project to push community development and sales tactics a step further. An average restaurant, market, or gallery space indeed creates new jobs and aids in the revitalization of an area. However, reusing a historic building adds an extra layer of relevance to any development through the creation of unique experiences to customers via story-telling. Thus, creating a business that remodels a standard business model experience.

A place with a story becomes a place of unique experience. Consequently, historic buildings are preserved for their architectural and cultural uniqueness and contribute to the character of a city as a whole. Thus the former railroad building tells a story to the community and creates memories, intangible feelings that travel much further than an ordinary business can. As a result of adaptive reuse, the history of the railroad may live on in the untouched walls and arches. Also, it will foster experiences created by the restaurant via everyday items that will interact with visitors from drinks names, and exhibitions of artists within its new gallery walls. The paintshop PROJECT seeks to reinforce the importance of the rich culture that neighborhood carries through experimental multi-use spaces that focus on place-making. In other words, its physical characteristics curate the atmosphere and tell compelling stories to the customer. Meanwhile, the stories they tell are engaging experiences that enhance physical paintshop.

Sources: Nussbaum, Katie. Savannah Sees More Money. SannvahNow. 2018.

Humphreys, Jeffrey. Economy: Successful Savannah. Georgia Trend Magazine. 2019.

The Savannah College of Art and Design Website.

The Garrison School for the Arts Website.

The U.S.A. Bureau of Statistics.

Aline Andreolla Feijo | PRES 750 | Professor Madson | Winter 2020

the georgia state railroad museum Located in the heart of Savannah, the Georgia State Railroad is among the finest remaining examples of Victorian railroad architecture and design and is the most intact antebellum railroad repair complex the United States. Built in 1925, the complex served the coastal Georgia community as a main railroad station, and large employer in the Savannah area until 1963. After shutting its doors, the site was left vacant, until 1989 when the city of Savannah asked the Coastal Heritage Society to bring the site back to life.

By 1989 the complex officially became the Georgia State Railroad Museum, an organization that has as its ultimate goal to preserve the authenticity of the Antebellum Georgia state railroad architectural complex. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. For several decades, the institution has managed to conserve the complex through regular repairs, research, and documentation of the site. In addition to the conservation efforts to preserve the railroad complex, the museum also gives back to the local Georgia community through charitable education opportunities to the public.

louisville road

The Georgia State Railroad museum attracts with visitors and the local community everyday through via the stories of the thousands of people who passed through the station on a regular basis everyday, the workers who were employed by the railroad, the how the city of Savannah as a whole grew as a result from the railroad. Furthermore, the museum engages with visitors through genuine interactive experiences like train rides, vintage car rides, and dozens of community events all centered around the history of the railroad complex.

On-site displays include antique shaft driven machinery, locomotives and railroad stock, model train layouts, an operating turntable, and the oldest portable steam engine in the United States. The historic railroad site offers a valuable educational experience for students and has also become a popular local tourist attraction, especially for families.

The map of the site illustrates the main buildings within the Georgia State Railroad complex. The structures highlighted are the paintshop, the building that will house the Savannah Childrens Musuem expansion, but is currently mostly vacant. The paintshop is the proposed site for the paintshop PROJECT adaptive reuse proposal. Second is the coachshop, which is currently used as a workshop for the staff of not only the railroad museum, but also other museums overseen by the Coastal Heritage Society. The coach shop is also largelly used as storage for the museum. Third, the Childrens Museum which is a main attraction for local families and visiting tourists in Savannah, aiding in bringing in visitors to the Railroad Museum. Lastly, the roud house which is one of the most iconic architecture components of the railroad complex.

4

boundary street

Additionally, located within the railroad complex is the Savannah Childrens Museum, which is also overseen by the Coastal Heritage Society. Currently, there are plans for the expansion of the Savannah Children Museum into the old paintshop complex. The expansion plans will utilize a fairly small portion of the building. The sizable vacant areas that are left out of the Childrens Museum’s plan possess great opportunities for further developments that incorporate charitable education and match the current preservation ethos of the institution.

west jones street

1

2

3

site map legend: 1. the paint shop 2. the coach shop 3. childrens museum 4. the round house

the site

exterior of the round house

exterior of the paintshop

interior of the paintshop

interior of the paintshop

current functions 255 ft

255 ft

paint shop upper level circulation

legend: workshop and storage

210 ft

210 ft

paint shop upper level current uses

paint shop lower level current uses

paint shop lower level circulation

paintshop PROJECT

legend: unused space children’s museum current epansion

paintshop PROJECT

train exhibitions proposed function

restaurant + market proposed function

restaurant + market proposed function

restaurant + market proposed function

new entrance proposed function

proposed functions 255 ft

255 ft

film + event space + production offices restrooms gallery + event + film space workshop + storage

children’s museum

offices + artist residencies

210 ft

museum space

210 ft

event space

children’s museum

kitchen

restaurant + market

paint shop upper level proposed uses

train exhibition proposed function

restrooms

paint shop lower level proposed uses

glass separation proposed function

flexible office cubes proposed function

film production + gallery space proposed function

preservation attitude For several decades, the Georgia State Railroad Museum has overseen the conservation of the Georgia State Railroad complex through research, documentation, and regular repairs, while also serving as a charitable education center for the local communities. Hence, the ultimate goal of the organization is to preserve the authenticity of the Antebellum Georgia state railroad architectural complex. Although the institution survives through its current uses, a large part of the structure remains vacant. The sizable unused portion of the museum poses threats to the conservation of the complex. As a matter of fact, much of the vacant section is in despair as a result from vandalism, biological growth, water damage, and overall exposure to natural elements. However, if the space gets assigned a use and becomes regularly utilized, the maintenance of the structure will receive more recognition, allowing for greater conservation efforts.

The paintshop PROJECT is inspired by the efforts to preserve the last remaining Antebellum railroad station in the United States. But the project has a vision that travels further than the mere physical conservation and repair of a historic building. Driven by an adaptive reuse mentality, the project aims to preserve the character of the railroad, in other words, the essence of the building as defined and expressed by its architectural, natural, and other correlating factor, through flexible and reservable interventions.

The new development offers the Georgia State Railroad Museum with inspiring new opportunities to continue and enhance its ongoing preservation efforts through adaptive reuse and unique programming. The paintshop PROJECT has as its ultimate goal to continue to preserve and protect the authentic Georgia Antebellum railroad structure, while also allowing for the complex to grow and develop based on contemporary opportunities. The project understands that for the railroad complex to continue to stand, it ought to adjust and engage broader audiences, hence raising the popularity of the space and allowing for economic prosperity.

Driven by current market needs, the Paintshop Project proposes to transform the two levels of the former railroad paint-shop into multi-use spaces, including a neighborhood eatery inspired by local food and the railroad’s history, artist residencies, studio spaces, offices, as well as event and gallery spaces. The plan also includes exhibitions of the existing artifacts that the railroad museum owns, alongside functional areas for storage, programming, and operations of the museum.

Finally, the paintshop PROJECT plans will serve to protect the railroad complex artistic and historical values through its proposed methods of development inspired by Alois Rielg and the value of modern monuments. The buildings that make up the railroad complex are of undeniable historic value as they serve as an indispensable link to the history and development of the city of Savannah. Furthermore, from an architectural perspective, the interior and exterior of the railroad complex possesses significant age value through its patina.

Hence, emphasizing the importance of conserving the interior of the building through minimal intervention. This minimalist approach to preservation will highlight the artistic value of the complex based on its historic value. Therefore, if the interior uses and functions of the structure changes overtime, the integrity of the original building and its historic functions will carry on for future generations. In conclusion, the paintshop PROJECT seeks to preserve and readapt the paintshop complex with utmost flexibility in mind, allowing for changes and development but without compromising the outstanding historic value the building holds.

Sources: Riegl, Alois. The Modern Cult of Monuments: Its Essence and Development.

Aline Andreolla Feijo | PRES 750 | Professor Madson | Winter 2020

INVENTORY OF OBJECTS AND MATERIALS FORD T MODEL

Storytelling is a powerful way to connect people to the built environment. Historic sites tell stories to visitors about the past of that place and the people who frequented it to capture the imagination of guests. While oral tales can be a compelling tool, preservation driven associations have heightened public engagement through historic sites by incorporation historical reconstructions that reflect upon the period of significance of a specific place. The Georgia State Railroad Museum is no stranger to the positive influence historical reconstructions and demonstrations have on visitors. Consequently, the institution is often seeking out new creative ways to connect with their guests via authentic experiences. A recent donation from Maine by Mr. and Mrs. Geiger of a Ford T Model vehicle serves as active facilitators for recreating historically meaningful recreations for the customers of the institution.

At first glance, the Ford T model appears only as a vintage vehicle brought over from Maine with no direct link to the Southern Georgia Railroad. However, although not an object produced to serve Savannah in the Antebellum period of the railroad directly, the Ford carries romantic significance for the museum due to the genuine value it brings the minds of those who frequent the institution today. In other words, the Ford feeds onto the idyllic historical narrative of the railroad by reliving the days when passengers would walk out of the train station towards bustling Martin Luther Kind Blvd and Louisville road to catch a ride home on the all-American Ford T Model.

Affectionately known as the “Tin Lizzie” and the “Flivver,” the Model T is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile in the United States. The Model T opened travel to the typical middle-class American as a result of Ford’s efficient fabrication, which included assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting.1 Ford’s Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States age of modernization.2 Furthermore, the car remained in production in the same basic form for 19 years, producing an average of 1 million units per year.3 The Model T was significantly restyled during its lengthy production cycle from 1917 to 1926. Exterior finishes other than black were first available on the closed models in 1926, followed shortly after that by the open cars, like the one at the Georgia Railroad Museum. Recently restored by the previous owners, the Ford Model T continues to operate smoothly while still carrying its authentic vintage look of the “Depot Hacks”- later re-coined “Station Wagons” - that picked up passengers from the train station in Savannah.4 Original mechanical refinements in the model in the exhibition at the museum include a lengthened rear frame cross member, revised springs and spindles, and a one-inch lower ride height. The car also has a decent breaking capacity for its time, with 11-inch rear brake drums and enlarged foot pedals, providing improved performance and operating life. Also, the Ford possesses an engine with a four-cylinder L-head, an estimated 20 horsepower, two-speed planetary transmission, a solid front axle with transverse semielliptic leaf spring, live rear axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring on a 100” wheelbase, and twowheel mechanical rear drum brakes. In addition to cloth-covered wiring, planetary transmission, 12-spoke wood wheels wrapped in Firestone Gum-dipped tires, tilting front window, chrome-plated hubcaps, underhood horn, dash amperes meter, Ford Moto-Meter radiator cap, Ford step plate, carpeted floor coverings with rubber front mat, dual cowl lamps, rear tail lamp, rear-hinged tailgate, rear seat, and running board luggage rack for passengers.5

Conclusively, even though the Ford T Model currently in exhibition at the Georgia State Railroad Museum has no immediate tangible link to the train station in Savannah, the car serves as a vehicle that connects the imagination of those who encounter it today. When guests of the museum ride inside the Model T during tours that narrate the history of the site, they are not merely listening to historical tales, but instead, they manage to engage with it at a vivid level directly. Hence, the Ford plays a vital role in the intangible heritage and the collective memory that is attached to the Georgia State Railroad Museum.

Sources: 1 St. Louis Car Museum. Ford Model T. 2 Price, R.G. Division of Labor, Assembly Line Thought - The Paradox of Democratic Capitalism. 2004.

3 Cobb, James. This Just In: Model T Gets Award. The New York Times. 1999.

4 Terry Koller. Director of Outreach and Partnership Development. Coastal Heritage Society. 5 Ford Instruction Book. Ford Motors Company. Detroit Michigan. 1926.

Ford T Model, Georgia State Railroad Museum.

Ford T Model, interior. Georgia State Railroad Museum.

Ford T Model, Georgia State Railroad Museum.