Sparano + Mooney Architecture

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

THE RUTH AND CHARLES GILB ARCADIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Sparano + Mooney Architecture

PROJECT TEAM
John P. Sparano, AIA and Anne G. Mooney (principals), Michael Atkinson, Matt Bean, Rene Berndt, Mahnaz Zahiry, Tomahisa Miayuchi (project team).

CONSULTANTS
Melisa Keeler (exhibits/graphics), Moroko & Shwe (Mechanical Engineering), Felix Roth & Associates (Electrical Engineering), Koh & Associates (Structural Engineering), Civil Trans (Civil Engineering), Gil Flores (Landscape Architecture), Jo Drummond (Specifications)

AREA
4000.0 ft2

LOCATION
Arcadia, CA, USA

CATEGORY
Museum

Text description provided by the architects.

This new museum houses a permanent collection as well as a continually rotating exhibit depicting the history of this area of Los Angeles County.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

The program includes a multi-purpose room and archival area, a curatorial office, and both interior and exterior exhibit spaces.

Clerestory windows and focused views provide natural light to the galleries. Views of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains are incorporated into the exhibit as the historical is juxtaposed with the present.

Relationships to the site and existing community center west of the museum are created through geometric and material references to the context.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

The design was inspired through an in-depth analysis of the complex relationship between the historian who records the past and the museum visitor experiencing the present.

Central to this relationship is the notion that history is understood through second and third generation sources.

Since these sources all interpret history through their own biases, they act as filters which affect the original event.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

To understand history one must not only understand one’s own relationship to the event, but must also be aware of the historian’s relationship to that event.

The design of the Arcadia Historical Museum seeks to heighten the visitor’s awareness of the existence of these filters.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

The design process began with the development of a conceptual viewing apparatus, which explored the impact of filters on what and how an object is viewed.

This construct was translated into an architecture that changes dramatically based on the position of the observer.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden

When viewed at a right angle, the façade dissolves as one looks through the wood louver screen; at an oblique angle, the façade appears solid.

The idea extended into the development of the exhibit which assumed a hyper-flexible and democratic approach, incorporating changeable elements including chalkboards for changing texts, corkboard frames for rotating displays, and movable open display cases which transform the space by their location, and invite hands-on interaction with the collection.

The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden


The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
© John Edward Linden


The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Plan
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Plan


The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Sketch
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Sketch
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Sketch


The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Model
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Model
The Ruth And Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum
Model

Sparano + Mooney Architecture
T +1 801 7460234
Sparano + Mooney Architecture
57 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, United States