Bay Area Discovery Museum
Sausalito, California
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Design Principal
Alan Maskin
Design Principal Alan Maskin is designing a new campus masterplan for the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a children’s museum at historic Fort Baker in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The campus-wide renovation will maintain the architectural integrity of the historic site while transforming the visitor experience with new exhibits and an expanded footprint to meet the needs of BADM’s growing visitorship, which is currently at 350,000 annual visitors. The renovation includes a phased construction plan that will re-purpose two campus buildings for the museum’s updated programs, as well as creating new research-backed permanent exhibits.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum applies the latest research to develop early learning experiences that inspire and build creative problem-solving skills in children to transform the way they learn. For the design and content of the museum’s reimagined campus, Olson Kundig collaborated with early learning experts from BADM’s in-house research division. Five new permanent exhibits will seamlessly incorporate the latest research into early childhood learning through interactive activities and environments. These include a new home for BADM’s Fab Lab, a maker space for children that includes digital fabrication technologies like 3D printers; a new exhibit called “How Things Work” that teaches children systems thinking by cutting in half and removing the outer shell of household items; a new STEM Classroom; a new outdoor exhibit for older children ages 5-10; new exhibit experiences for a replacement boat exhibit; and new landscape-themed rooms in the museum’s toddler-specific exhibits.
Team
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Project Manager
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Project Architect
Megan Zimmerman
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Architectural Staff
Crystal Coleman
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Exhibit Designers
Ryan Botts
Jared Luther -
Interior design
Awards
2022
World Interiors News Awards, Bronze Medal, Cultural Venues Category
2021
Interior Design Best of Year Awards, Winner, Kids’ Zone Category
Publications
2022
“Bay Area Discovery Museum.” Archello, 8 Mar. 2022. Web.
“Bay Area Discovery Museum / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily, 31 Aug. 2022. Web.
Cohen, Edie. “Olson Kundig.” Interior Design, Jan. 2022, 58-59. Print.
Hill, John. “At the Bay Area Discovery Museum.” World-Architects, 29 Mar. 2022. Web.
Killigrew, Rebecca. “Monuments of Culture.” Architecture Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022. Web.
“Monuments of Culture.” Architecture Magazine, Feb./Mar. 2022, 16-17. Print.
2021
Abrams, Lotus. “For the Love of Learning.” Marin Magazine, Nov. 2021, 25, 26. Print.
Brenner, Keri. “‘Grow and learn.'” Marin Independent Journal, 5 Oct. 2021, 1, 4. Print.
“New Bay Area Discovery Museum by Olson Kundig.” Art Daily, 22 Jul. 2021. Web.
2020
Ryder, Bethan. “Learning To Play.” The Observer Design, Winter 2020, 124-128. Print.
2019
“Bay Area children’s museum to begin $18.5M renovation.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 12 March 2019, 1. Print.