Creating An International Museum
This former Macy’s Department Store, built in the late 1960’s, is now home to the internationally recognized Columbia Museum of Art. SSOE (formerly SSOE | Stevens & Wilkinson) transformed this vacant storefront plaza into a tourism hotspot that is known throughout the Columbia region for its unique traveling exhibits, art studios, galleries, conference rooms, and art shop.
New Contemporary Hub
Challenged to create an easily discernible “front door,” the museum’s new main entrance is strongly identified by the unique inverted truss design of the roof, while a spacious two-story atrium floods the lobby with natural light, transforming this dilapidated building into a new contemporary hub of activity.
Downtown Revitalization
The completed design of this area includes the former Carolina First Building (now the TD Bank Building), Boyd Plaza, and the Columbia Museum of Art, all contributed to the downtown revitalization of Columbia’s Main Street.
