Kaleideum is pleased to announce the selection of Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm with an office based in Raleigh, and Stitch Design Shop, based in Winston-Salem, as the architects to design the space for the new museum. The third part of the design team is Roto, a leading exhibit developer that has produced exhibits in more than 150 museums throughout the world.
“We are thrilled that Forsyth County has hired such a dynamic, experienced team to embark on this exciting adventure for Winston-Salem,” said Paul Kortenaar, Executive Director – Community for Kaleideum. “The County released an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) in the fall of 2016, and the response was phenomenal with 18 submissions coming from all over the country. After several months of a careful and deliberative process, our selection committee composed of Forsyth County representatives, along with Kaleideum staff and board, chose six teams to meet with for presentation. We unanimously agreed that the team of Gensler, Stitch Design Shop and Roto would be the best choice to design the new museum.”
The new Kaleideum will be located on the site of the former Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office on the corner of Third Street and Town Run Lane. “At Gensler, we have a passion for these kinds of projects like Kaleideum that make meaningful contributions to the community,” said Chad Parker, a Winston-Salem native and managing director of Gensler Raleigh. “My hometown had such a profound impact on me, and it’s great to be able to give back by helping design a place that will similarly impact others.”
Finding the right team that could blend the best features of a children’s museum and a science center into a distinctive building that is immediately recognizable as a Winston-Salem destination was extremely important for the selection committee, according to Elizabeth Dampier, Executive Director – Museum. “We really wanted the local connection to the city that we found in Stitch Design Shop, as well as the research and depth of experience in children’s museum and science center design that Gensler and Roto brought to the process,” she said. “We are so excited to take the next step forward with this team of experts.”
The Kaleideum project was particularly exciting for Stitch Design Shop architect/owner Adam Sebastian, who grew up in Winston-Salem and is raising a family here. “As architects, we want to create spaces that will be transformative and bring people from all walks of life together,” he said. “This project has the unique opportunity to create a strong sense of place in the epicenter of downtown. For us, being in this city we love, we could see the opportunity to connect the community and reach beyond the footprint of the walls.”
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