Bessemer
ARCH 3111 - UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
2023
A mass timber project located in the city of Pueblo, Bessemer is a museum that challenges the conventional approach to contextual architecture. The museum houses three exhibits - all of which symbolize a specific part of the steel making process. Constructed primarily of cross-laminated timber, glass, and concrete, the unique building pays homage to the history of industrialization in the city while simultaneously stressing the importance of sustainable practice in design.
Hierarchy
The primary exhibit is visually accessible from both levels of the structure. The piece displays a small-scale model of the city’s neighborhood of Bessemer while including some of the area’s most important landmarks. Positioned next to the main staircase, the model symbolizes an appreciation for the history of the city’s blue collar identity - something that is still very much present in Pueblo’s culture today.
The secondary and tertiary exhibits consist of a large steel frame and a Bessemer converter, respectfully. The converter is positioned in the center of the first floor’s circulatory space, while the steel framing sits perpendicularly above it on the second floor.
All three exhibits illustrate a hierarchy within them that follows one motif - the significance of the process, the product, and the people.
“All creation is a mine, and every man, a miner.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Circulation
Located on the corner of East Evans Avenue and Jones Avenue in the Bessemer neighborhood of Pueblo, the surrounding context of the site consists almost entirely of low-rise housing. A creek runs horizontally through the back of the site with the museum being supported in the rear by two concrete columns. The parking lot is nestled between the museum and a private residential home. The entrance is located on the west end of the building with the exit doors being located on the east end. When entering, one is greeted immediately with a staircase to the left, allowing for a complete processional experience throughout with idea of learning as much as possible during the visit.
