The Museum of Science & History has outgrown its current facility on the Southbank of Jacksonville where it has operated since 1969. Seeking to expand its capacity to serve more students and visitors, MOSH will relocate to a site at the Jacksonville Shipyards on the Northbank of the St John’s River. Inspired by the natural landscape of the river that has played such an important role in the history of Jacksonville, our design for the new museum rises from the landscape at both the water’s edge and the city to the north.
Terraces allow visitors to view the river and Shipyards area from multiple levels. The building’s unique form extends toward the city creating a front porch for those arriving to the museum while the south cantilever provides covered areas to watch and participate in events along the waterfront. Upon entry, an atrium space allows visibility towards the exhibitions, immersive theaters, and educational spaces while also providing a dynamic light-filled space that draws people into the heart of the building. The design integrates internal exhibitions with the public realm via external exhibition areas that correspond to each of three thematic ecosystems: Natural, Cultural, and Innovation. This transformational reimagining of the museum reinforces MOSH’s role as a vital civic institution and a destination for accessible, immersive, and technologically advanced experiences, while honoring its historic commitment to education.
The project encompasses 130,000 SF of new construction for exhibitions, educational programs, administrative offices, and event space. With a focus on resiliency, the design accounts for the potential for flooding, height restrictions along the waterfront, and the freeway adjacent to the site on the north by lifting the first floor of the building 7 feet at the southern portion of the site and 15 feet towards the north. The education department has an interactive science theater, classrooms, café, and exterior terrace that overlooks the Urban Porch and Natural Eco Terrace external exhibition areas. Parking for 100 cars is tucked partially under the building at the north screened by the landscape. We are providing integrated design services for the project, including architecture, interiors, MEP and structural engineering, resiliency consulting, and technology design services. We are working in collaboration with local architects Kasper Architects & Associates and SCAPE landscape architects.
