Recognizing that a significant portion of its revenue is derived from rental income, the Science Museum of Virginia’s first priority under a new master plan was a new special event center. The event pavilion is designed to operate independently from the museum and provides over 25,000 square feet of exhibition and/or event space. The pavilion’s swooping roof and its large expanses of transparency provide a memorable contemporary image, purposefully contrasting with the museum’s 1919 neoclassical façade.

Now fully implemented, the full master plan has increased the amount of exhibit and program space, improved wayfinding, updated systems, added visitor amenities, and boosted earned revenue while preserving the historic integrity of the original building. Once a train station, the 210,000-square-foot facility became the museum’s permanent home in 1976, saving the structure from demolition.

This project was master planned and designed by Pfeiffer prior to joining Perkins Eastman.