LOCATION
Manalapan, New Jersey
CLIENT
State of New Jersey
TYPE
Civic | Visitor Center and Museum | New Construction
SUSTAINABILITY
LEED Silver Certified
AWARDS
2016
American Architecture Prize
2015
American Institute of Steel Construction’s IDEAS2 National Award
World Architecture News, Shortlisted, Civic Awards
Society of American Registered Architects, National Design Award
The Chicago Athenaeum: American Architecture Awards
Best Public Building Build Award
Society of American Registered Architects, National Design Award
2014
The Chicago Athenaeum: International Architecture Awards
American Council of Engineering Companies of New York Silver
AIA New Jersey Honor Award
New York Construction Best Small Project of the Year
Engineering News Record (ENR) Best of the Best/Small Project
Monmouth Battlefield State Park Visitor Center is a point of orientation and gateway to an historic battlefield that figured prominently in the American Revolutionary War. The Center places primacy on the landscape of the Battlefield as its most important artifact. Through its siting and generous use of large expanses of glass, the pavilion dramatically frames views of the Battlefield and engages the visitor.
Sited at the top of Combs Hill overlooking the Battlefield, the pavilion is conceived as a modern-day temple, elevated in its siting, but diminutive in its appearance. The one-story structure creates a cantilevered roof solar shade that frames views and protects the exhibits from the sun. Sustainable features include triple-glazed low-e laminated glazing, geothermal heating and cooling, and rainwater collection that is channeled into a rain garden at entry. Natural grasses and flora were also planted adjacent to the structure to minimize maintenance and encourage indigenous birds and reptiles to live on top of Combs Hill again.
Bob Martin
Former Commissioner,
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
