Makah Museum and Cultural Resource Center
makah museum and cultural resource center
Neah Bay, Washington
Client
Makah Indian Tribe
size
23,000 sf
completion
2003
The Makah Cultural and Research Center was designed to house the Makah tribal artifacts from the 500 year old Ozette fishing village archaeological site. The exhibits are organized following a story line that depicts the seasonal patterns of this Pacific Northwest coastal tribe and weave around a full-scale reconstruction of a 15th century Makah longhouse located in the center of the museum. The placement of the structural columns was planned and coordinated to allow for the installation of the longhouse by the Makah tribe.
The 23,000-square-foot facility also incorporated offices for staff and a gracious lobby area. Behind the public areas of the museum are spaces dedicated to exhibit planning, workrooms and storage. Exhibit space and casework are carefully configured to protect the artifacts from extremes of temperature, humidity or exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Bassetti Architects provided complete architectural and engineering services.
"“A frequently cited exception [to design that fails to show sensitivity to traditional indigenous values] and model of successful community participation was the Makah Cultural Center in Neah Bay, a building designed by [Bassetti Architects] around a tribe-designed interior.”"
Progressive Architecture
