Vermillion, South Dakota

By 2011, the National Music Museum had outgrown its re-purposed Carnegie library home on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and hired Schwartz Silver, along with local partner firm Koch Hazard, to design an expansion to better display its world-class collection of 15,000 instruments. After eight years and multiple design iterations to meet fluctuating budgets, the Museum broke ground in 2019 on a 16,000 SF addition and a full interior renovation of the existing 28,000 SF building.

The addition not only provides the Museum with a new accessible public entrance and lobby, it adds a 4,600 SF exhibit hall for temporary shows, and a dedicated performance hall to showcase playable instruments from the collection. Back-of-house program elements include staff and administrative offices, a classroom, a photography studio, a viewable conservation lab, a new loading dock, and on-site archival storage space. By locating these functions in the addition, gallery spaces were restored and expanded within the original limestone building, including all new exhibits.

To meet challenging budgetary constraints, Schwartz Silver designed the addition with an efficient load-bearing precast shell that would not only match the monolithic character of the original limestone, but also contain a stable museum environment in a harsh winter climate. The new large glazed lobby allows the addition to have a light touch against the original structure. With some interior galleries still to be completed, the Museum anticipates a full reopening in 2023.