HGA

Located in Winona's downtown historic district overlooking the Mississippi River bluffs, the Laird Norton Addition enhances the distinctive character of the Winona County History Center's 1915 Armory while establishing a welcoming presence that beckons patrons with permanent and changing exhibits, public programming and community outreach. The three-level, 12,400-square-foot addition includes lobby and gift store, 2^nd-floor multipurpose room, catering kitchen, partial Armory remodeling, and lower-level artifacts storage.

The addition's street-level facade features a contemporary colonnade clad in a roman brick that blends with the existing Armory. The copper-clad 2^nd-level multipurpose room features expansive windows and an adjacent outdoor terrace. From the terrace, visitors view the downtown streetscape and out toward the Mississippi River bluffs.

lighting design

Exterior up-lighting between the corbelled brick colonnade emphasizes the façade's rhythmic pattern. Interior spaces take advantage of natural lighting and exterior views through the full-height lobby windows and various-scaled windows on the second level. Warm accent lighting highlights a perforated wood lobby wall, which screens a staircase leading to the second level.