GRAND MARAIS MARITIME MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER

The recently decommissioned Northern Coast Guard Station in Grand Marais, MN is located on an iconic peninsula, offering this highly visited small town a rare, exciting, and contested opportunity. In dialogue with local stakeholders, this studio explored the potential for a publicfacing architecture to impactfully mediate spatial and material experiences of site, landscape, memory and outlook.

This project maintains the integrity of the two existing Coast Guard buildings while adding two monolithic forms extending down the peninsula. The East building is comprised of gallery spaces for the display of historic boats while the West building extends to the end of the isthmus and is comprised of education spaces. The goal of the additional buildings was to maintain the vernacular gable roof form inspired by traditional fish houses while minimizing the detail and acting as a backdrop for the existing buildings. Plan 01

Existing New

Patrick Cipriano

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Wall Section

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Curtain Wall Section

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