Press Releases
"The US Army Heritage Center Foundation announced today award of the design contract for the Visitor and Education Center to Fentress Bradburn Architects, Ltd., of Denver, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
Fentress Bradburn will create the design for the 57,000 square foot building that will join the growing campus of the Army Heritage and Education Center (AHEC). The Board of Trustees for the Army Heritage Center Foundation selected Fentress Bradburn Architects because of its proven experience in creating museums, government centers, airport terminals, and other public structures that connect visitors with the local community, natural environment and client's mission.
'The AHEC Board is proud to be part of this historical effort to develop the Army Heritage and Education Center campus,' said board member Chris Gleason, a former Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. 'The Visitor and Education Center represent the most important aspect of our mission which is to connect with and educate the American people, especially our children, in the significant role the Army has played in our history and the protection of our liberty.'
The Visitor and Education Center, will serve as the hub of the AHEC complex. From there, visitors can move to Ridgway Hall which opened in 2004 to house the world-renowned Military History Institute collection. Visitors can elect to tour the immersion history experience of the outdoor Heritage Trail. And, in the final phase, visitors can move to the Museum.
The Visitor and Education Center will include a gallery for rotating exhibits, meeting rooms, and support services, making the Army Heritage and Education Center a historical and educational center that capitalizes on the rich collection of military records, photos, artifacts, and personal papers.
'The center's architecture will make a powerful statement,' said Curtis Worth Fentress, Lead Designer. 'Distinctive building elements with coalesce in a magnificent structure, just as individual soldiers band together to form the US Army.'
Founded in 1980, Fentress Bradburn Architects employs more than 100 people in its two offices, which are located in Washington D.C. and Denver, CO. Over the past 25 years the firm has garnered more than 200 honors, awards, and citations for design excellence. The firm's collective portfolio, which hosts over 225 million annual visitors, includes the National Museum of wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Denver International Airport's Passenger Terminal and the expansion and renovation of the Museum of Science in Boston. Learn more at www.fentressbradburn.com.
The Army Heritage Center Foundation is leading a public-private partnership to raise funds to construct the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has committed $10 million towards the building's construction, and the Foundation will raise the remaining funds. Upon completion, the Army will fund the Center's operation and maintenance."