Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Visitor Center
Macon, Georgia
JKOA has been involved in two projects at the Ocmulgee Visitor Center, the first and only Art Moderne building constructed by the National Park Service. The site is a cluster of prehistoric mounds that in the 1930s became the largest archaeological dig in the eastern United States. The vast collection of artifacts demanded a museum, administrative spaces, and laboratory facilities.
The unheralded NPS architect James T. Swanson, Jr., broke from long established Park Service rustic designs and chose the Art Moderne. His 1936-38 building is a sculptural showpiece with curving concrete walls, flowing stairs, and a bold geometric frieze patterned on the prehistoric pottery excavated nearby. Opinions were mixed. Some lauded the “beautiful structure” while others declared it “the supremely ugly museum, a monstrosity.”
JKOA’s first project at Ocmulgee was preparation of an Historic Structure Report (HSR) that included substantial research, HABS-quality measured drawings, and a condition assessment of the moisture-damaged structure. The HSR heralded the importance of the building as a watershed event and encouraged a higher designation of its significance.
In a follow-up project, the JKOA project team designed high-efficiency, LEED-compliant mechanical systems for the specialized spaces of the building. Emphasis was placed on a sustainable design for Ocmulgee’s location in the Southeastern climate. JKOA also provided construction administration services for the project.
Project services
Architecture
Historic preservation
Documentation drawings
Historical research
Condition assessment
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering
Museum collection environmental systems
HVAC systems training
Construction administration
Cost estimating