2001 : Captain Michael King Smith Educational Institute (a.k.a. Evergreen Aviation Museum), McMinnville, Oregon
Completed while employed at Ankrom Moisan Assciated Architects.
This building (now referred to as the Evergreen Aviation Museum) was designed to house the largest aircraft ever to fly: The Hughes HK-1 flying boat (often referred to as the “Spruce Goose”). Another major part of the program included the display of the owner’s collection of historic aircraft – many of which are still in flying condition. The building uses structural steel scissor trusses to economically bridge the plane’s 319 ft wing-span. These trusses were up-sized to support suspended aircraft as well. As is common with a project of this size, the design process was subject to series of starts and stops as the owner worked to raise the necessary funds to make the project a reality. As such, my role in the project was entirely concentrated in the conceptual and design development phases. By the time the construction document phase started, I had been assigned to other projects. The AMAA-designed Aviation Museum was the first of several buildings on the campus. The subsequent buildings (Space Museum, IMAX theater, and Wings & Waves Waterpark) were overseen by Scott | Edwards Architecture LLP in a similar style.
The Aero-News Network has created several videos about the Evergreen Aviation Museum and the Hughes HK-1 Flying Boat.
Building statistics:
- Client: Evergreen Vintage Aircraft, Inc.
- Contractor: Hoffman Construction Company
- Construction Cost: $16,000,000 (first phase: Aviation Museum)
- Use: museum
- Square Footage: 120,000 s.f.