Completed in May 2014, Museum at Prairiefire is located in Overland Park, Kansas, United States. It was designed based on the historical past and present of the area. The Prairiefire Museum, which can be translated into Turkish as the Bush Fire Museum, was designed by the architectural firm Verner Johnson. With its façade resembling moire and the special materials used in its structure, the fire and the history of the region with fire are reflected in the structure of the building with fire-specific features.
Let’s take a look at this museum that takes fire and its character as a guide, blending its characteristics with successful abstraction and well-chosen materials.
Museum at Prairiefire Design
The Museum at Prairiefire, which is intended to stand out, is illuminated differently inside and outside the building according to the angle of incidence of light thanks to the dichroic glasses used on its facades. In the building, which changes its color tone according to the position of the sun, light is used in cold and blue tones for the interiors, while warm and orange tones reminiscent of fire are preferred for the exterior. This perception created by the building has profoundly affected the understanding and function of the building. The warm colors used on the facades draw the attention of visitors towards the building. It appeals to people with its resemblance to a fire emerging in the grassy bush area where it is located. In the interiors, the light coming in from the facade is refracted by these diochroic glasses, resulting in colors between exterior cold and blue-white, similar to the lights we frequently use in our homes and general areas of use. With this diffraction preferred for the interior, it is aimed to make it easier to examine and visit the museum and to prevent perception confusion.
Location and Facade
Located in Overland Park, KS, USA, Museum at Prairiefire interacts in an unusual way with the surrounding buildings. Nestled in the undergrowth, it feels as if it is in the middle of nowhere, but in fact it is surrounded.
Museum at Prairiefire, which has a shopping mall, a cinema and residential areas nearby, has managed to stand out from its surroundings not by moving away from them or running away from them, but by shining like a spark among them.
The Museum at Prairiefire, which has managed to spread the effect of its exterior design throughout the building, has captured the transitions of movement and meaning between its interior and exterior spaces by passively manipulating the light angles without requiring effort or active force.
Museum at Prairiefire, one of the buildings where the difference between the interior and exterior spaces is felt most clearly, has worked to prevent the museum function, which is its main goal, from feeling like a continuation of the outside world. The building, which makes you feel completely distant and independent from the outside world after you enter the museum, has used its design to create this effect.
Museum at Prairiefire Architecture
Designed as a whole from exterior to interior, the building uses Dichroic glass, a special type of glass, iridescent stainless steel tiles and chrome stainless steel panels produced with Light Interference Color (LIC) method using certain acids and electrolytes. The elevations and descents created on its own facade are blended with these elements.
Dichroic glasses and stainless steel parts are harmonized with the load-bearing walls of the building and these units are utilized as load-bearing system elements in addition to their visual functions.
In the two-storey building, subtle solutions and adjustments were planned and designed according to the needs and wishes of the spaces created and the floor on which they are located. Problems, needs and wishes that may arise over time in general use have been taken into consideration and early solutions have been tried to be produced.
The plans, sections and systematics of the building, which is intended to offer wide openings and exhibition spaces, are blended within the framework of the needs of the building and the design decisions taken.
Museum space and planning
Museum at Prairiefire is a conceptual museum that blends dinosaurs, space and extinction into an experience. The topics explored in the museum are examined using unconventional techniques and methods. Instead of shallow narratives and boring presentations, visual and auditory elements that attract children’s attention are utilized. Space and matter concepts are conveyed using 360° tours and state-of-the-art technology products. Dinosaurs and other local extinct creatures are covered through animations, fossils and findings. Its general structure that appeals to children does not mean that it is far from adults. Having analyzed the museum structure and the wishes of its visitors well, Verner Johnson created Museum at Prairiefire with a design that blends the wishes and needs of all its users and visitors.
Visitors described the museum structure as a fun and educational few hours to spend with the family.
Although there are areas such as meeting areas, meeting offices and common areas, the main focus and planning has been on the museum area.
My thoughts about Museum at Prairiefire
The Museum at Prairiefire, located in the state of Kansas, United States of America, has created a minimal design by abstracting the importance and meaning of its surroundings, both physically and historically, in its own unique way. This building stands out both for its design and its function, and my focus was, of course, on its architecture and design. However, its function as a museum is undeniably fun and instructive according to its visitors. The fact that the other buildings designed by Verner Johnson, the designer of this building, are mostly museums explains it well. With its iconic, unusual and original design, it draws in its visitors or anyone who has the opportunity to see its beauty in some way. The fact that it shows the standard it has achieved in its design in the museum sections proves to us that design and needs can converge on a common denominator.
What do you think about the Museum at Prairiefire? Do you think the design of the building contrasts with the function of the museum? Are there any problems with the plans and design? Don’t forget to share your opinions with us. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can also read our review of Berlin Jewish Museum by clicking here.
Architecture Company: Verner Johnson
Architectural Style: Modernism
Year: 2014
Location: Kansas, USA
