Creativity and Community
Blending historic preservation with modern design, this renovation transformed this former bank into a space that provides dynamic galleries, engaging learning areas, and a lasting foundation for artistic exploration.
Susquehanna Art Museum Renovation
Harrisburg, PA
After 25 years of grassroots growth in temporary and pop-up locations—including leased space in Harrisburg’s historic Kunkel Building and donated space from the State Museum of Pennsylvania—the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) set out to establish a permanent home. Combining new construction with adaptive reuse, the museum repurposed the 1924 Keystone Trust Company building and expanded its presence with a two-story addition, creating a 20,000-square-foot cultural destination.
The transformation features an entrance gallery with meticulously restored 27-foot gold leaf ceilings, a vibrant repurposing of the bank’s original vault as an interactive space for children, and a second-floor main gallery that hosts feature exhibitions and doubles as an event venue. Certain galleries, were designed with environmental controls to host traveling or sensitive exhibitions. The entry gallery, for example, is retrofitted to include climate and humidity controls.
Education & Community
The design supports educational programming, including gallery visits for local charter school students. The Education Center is a cornerstone of this effort. The museum’s location has contributed to Midtown Harrisburg’s cultural and economic revitalization. Nearby businesses and restaurants cited the museum as a catalyst for investment.
