Nine years after the Museum of Maritime and Seafood Industry in Biloxi, Miss., was damaged by Hurricane Katrina’s 30-foot tidal surge, the museum reopened its doors to the public in a brand new, H3-designed building on August 1.
The $7 million, 19,580-sf museum houses 10,000 sf of exhibits and gallery spaces, meeting rooms, a production shop, administrative areas, and storage. It is a final milestone representing six years of effort by the city, the museum, and the H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture design team.
Leading the project was Biloxi-native Daria Pizzetta, H3 Partner-in-Charge. “Everything I knew as a child is gone,” Pizzetta says, whose grandmother donated much of the family’s maritime memorabilia to the museum just weeks before the hurricane. “This project [was] more than designing a museum, it’s rebuilding the heritage of my Gulf Coast hometown,” he said.
The materials used in the design of the museum are locally sourced and make reference to the Point Cadet neighborhood. The design itself mimics the seafood factories that were once housed in the neighborhood, incorporating a white clapboard patter, corrugated tin roofs, and open front porches. The building’s porch structures, as well as interior wood detailing, make reference to coastal wooden pier structures.
The building’s elevation meets Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements for constructing within a Coastal A flood plain.
A museum's premier artifact is the sloop Nydia, built in Biloxi in 1896. Nydia measures 30 feet long and 40 feet high, and is the focal point of the gallery that was designed around it. The use of glass as the primary enclosure of the main gallery creates a “ship in a bottle” effect, letting the Nydia be visible from the exterior.
Related Stories
Architects | Sep 11, 2019
Buoyed by construction activity, architect compensation continues to see healthy gains
The latest AIA report breaks down its survey data by 44 positions and 28 metros.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 10, 2019
Carbon-neutral apartment building sets the pace for scalable affordable housing
Project Open has no carbon footprint, but the six-story, solar-powered building is already leaving its imprint on Salt Lake City’s multifamily landscape.
Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2019
Top 70 Industrial Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
AECOM, Stantec, Ware Malcomb, FSB, and Macgregor Associates top the rankings of the nation's largest industrial sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2019
2019 Industrial Sector Giants Report: Managing last mile delivery
This and more industrial building sector trends from Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Codes and Standards | Sep 9, 2019
Free app calculates maximum allowable heights and areas for buildings
A free app that calculates the maximum allowable heights and areas for buildings of various occupancy classifications and types of construction has been released.
Retail Centers | Sep 6, 2019
Another well-known retailer files for bankruptcy: Here's the solution to more empty anchor stores
Where can you find the future of retail? At the intersection of experience and instant gratification.
Giants 400 | Sep 5, 2019
Top 110 Hotel Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
Gensler, WATG, HKS, HBG Design, and Steelman Partners top the rankings of the nation's largest hotel sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Sep 5, 2019
AIA launches landmark initiative to drive climate action
AIA Board of Directors approves member-led resolution to rally architects in mitigating and adapting the built environment.
Giants 400 | Sep 3, 2019
Top 140 K-12 School Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
DLR Group, PBK, Huckabee, Stantec, and VLK Architects top the rankings of the nation's largest K-12 school sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Market Data | Sep 3, 2019
Nonresidential construction spending slips in July 2019, but still surpasses $776 billion
Construction spending declined 0.3% in July, totaling $776 billion on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis.