The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum stands as an architectural platform to honor and depict the military experience of Iowa citizens in all wars, homeland defense and Iowa service. Programmatically, there was a need for an enhanced structure to accommodate the existing museum’s growing collection of rare military archives and artifacts, including two aircraft and a submarine periscope. The challenge of the project was to make architecture that would be timeless throughout the decades on a limited budget.

The solution to this design challenge is an architectural addition onto the existing muted building. This vast shaped structure made of steel and glass projects from the old building with a transparent knuckle that invites through light and sight. With its soaring, mono-slope roof, it challenges the role of “container” and becomes part of the action. The new extension gives a fundamental re-orientation to the existing building, opening up the view to the historical center of Camp Dodge to welcome visitors at a civic scale.

 

Location:  Camp Dodge - Johnston, IA

Program:  Museum

Area:  10,262 SF Renovation, 17,852 SF Addition

Client:  Iowa Army National Guard

Photo Credits: Cameron Campbell Integrated Studio