Gateway Arch Visitor Center and Museum of Westward Expansion
St. Louis, MO
Project Stats
Client
National Park Service
Project Status
Complete
Markets
This 47,000-sq.-ft. subterranean expansion and renovation of the Museum of the Gateway Arch was the final component of the $380 million redevelopment of the iconic monument in downtown St. Louis. As a primary general contractor of the Gateway Arch Park redevelopment, McCarthy also oversaw the transformation of the north and south grounds surrounding the 50-year-old national historic landmark.
The renovated museum and visitors center enhance the overall experience for the 4 million individuals who visit the 630-foot-tall structure, on average, each year. A dramatic new circular entrance and upper-level lobby facing downtown St. Louis replaces the previous underground entrances at the base of each Arch leg. Visitors now enter the monument at street level, through a custom-built glass and stainless-steel entry enclosure system.
The expanded museum’s reinforced roof deck features 2,400 cubic yards of post-tensioned concrete slabs, as well as 189,000 cubic feet of GeoFoam blocks, an innovative solution to eliminate additional excessive weight on the roof deck.
Constraints on all four sides limited access points and the ability to transport materials to the monument, which is situated at the center of a 70-acre site. To the east is the Mississippi River, the region’s foremost waterway (and the source of two flood events that significantly impacted construction activities). And to the west is a major interstate highway that bisects the Arch from the densely occupied downtown area.
Further complicating this scenario, the Gateway Arch had to remain open, accessible and fully operational throughout the three-year construction project.
The monument’s new main entrance welcomes visitors into a daylight-filled, climate-controlled plaza that provides external views of the Old Courthouse landmark and downtown St. Louis. A grand mezzanine features a colorful terrazzo floor with a giant U.S. map illustrating the westward migration from St. Louis and other cities. It leads to several new galleries that trace St. Louis’ role in westward expansion from the mid-1600s to the present. A 100-foot video wall inside the tram lobby will project scenes from the original construction of the Gateway Arch and other examples of American innovation. The entrance, building and exhibits are designed to meet universal design standards so the museum can be accessible by all individuals regardless of age, size or ability.
The Gateway Arch Park redevelopment also included renovation of the north and south grounds surrounding the monument to create a more pedestrian-friendly experience, with easier access from downtown St. Louis and the riverfront. The renovated park grounds feature more than five miles of scenic bike and walking paths, an outdoor natural amphitheater, and a new land bridge that directly connects the Arch to downtown for the first time in its history.
47,000
Square Foot Expansion
105,800
Square Feet Remodeled
1,142
Days Project Duration
2,400
Cubic Yards of Concrete
Client
National Park Service
Architects
Cooper Robertson
James Carpenter Associates Trivers Associates
Structural
Alper Audi, Inc.
Landscape
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Certifications
LEED Gold
