SmithGroup has unveiled designs for the ground-up Wisconsin Historical Society building, the Wisconsin History Center, in Madison, Wisconsin. The museum will replace the existing Wisconsin Historical Museum, which is housed in a former hardware store across the street from the Wisconsin State Capitol Square. SmithGroup will provide architecture, interior architecture, MEP engineering, landscape architecture, civil engineering and life safety and fire protection engineering services, and will be working with Continuum Architects + Planners on architectural design and interiors, Ralph Applebaum Associates on exhibition design, and GRAEF as the structural engineer.
The five-story building will be massed in a series of stacked terraces that offer a more street-facing visitor experience than most museums. Weathered zinc, embossed stainless steel, and granite facade panels will break up glass sections on the facade, fulfilling programmatic needs while utilizing local materials on the most public-facing aspect of the building.
SmithGroup principal and lead designer of the history center, Monteil Crawley, said that the “faceted and layered façade symbolizes that history is complex, dimensional and told from multiple perspectives… The architectural design is bold and dynamic yet very intentionally welcoming and comfortable for all guests. It will be an engaging and enlivening place for the community to gather and a landmark destination for visitors.”
Programmatically, each stacked floor will serve a specific purpose, with the ground level hosting public programming, a storefront, and areas for student and community groups. A large wooden staircase, designed to resemble a dugout canoe similar to those used by Indigenous communities and found in nearby Lake Mendota, will give visitors views of the capitol through glass facade sections. The top floor will be reserved for event spaces, including an expansive rooftop terrace.
The second floor will host two rotating galleries: one for local groups, and one for traveling exhibitions. Ascending to the third floor, visitors will enter a gallery displaying film, television, music, and other media collections showcasing Wisconsin history. Visitors can then proceed to a second, interactive gallery focused on an “exploration of American experiences,” including civic participation and Indigeneity. An immersive gallery will fill the fourth floor, programmed to reflect Wisconsin’s natural beauty. If visitors need a break, two terraces overlook Capitol Square, and slightly further in the distance, Lake Mendota.
Christian Øverland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society, said that: “As the Wisconsin Historical Society’s new front door, the history center will be a hub of engagement and reflection, a place that draws people in and invites them to explore the stories behind the state’s history and culture in ways that have never before been offered.”
The team is currently targeting a completion date in late 2026.
