Project Highlights

• Structural steel mezzanine suspended from steel rods
• New elevator and stairs

Overview

Adaptive reuse of the abandoned Mayflower Congregational Church in south Minneapolis transformed the Spanish Colonial Revival style church into a museum dedicated to the exhibition of 20th-century Russian art and artifacts. Structurally the existing building stands on conventional footings, the timber roof trusses supported by masonry walls. A major feature of the renovation was the addition of a structural steel mezzanine suspended from above by steel rods, thus eliminating columns that would have obstructed views of the art. The suspended system attaches to the retrofit beams installed adjacent to each roof truss. A new steel and masonry elevator tower and new stairs were also part of the remodeling, as well as extensive remodeling of the façade and basement.