FIRST PHASE OF THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE CAMPUS EXPANSION PROJECT COMPLETE
Turnblad Mansion and Museum Shop Reopen to the Public
Construction on the Nelson Cultural Center Continues
The American
Swedish Institute (ASI) has completed the first phase of its campus expansion
project—begun in May 2011—which includes renovations and remodeling in the
lower level of the Turnblad Mansion and construction of the Hognander Tower.
The new tower greatly improves access to all levels of the Mansion and the
newly remodeled program spaces. The Mansion (museum, Museum Shop, and
meeting/program spaces) reopened on Saturday, Nov. 12, and the annual holiday
exhibit, A Nordic Christmas, is now on display. Construction on the
Nelson Cultural Center, which is slated to open in June 2012, continues.
The community will benefit from the
following new features, completed as part of the first phase of the project:
- Historic renovation to
the gallery space on the Mansion’s lower level, featuring restoration of the
original intricately detailed plaster ceilings.
- Installation of a new,
custom-woven facsimile of the original 1908 carpet in the Mansion’s Grand Hall,
grand staircase, landing and second floor balcony.
- Hognander Tower for
improved accessibility to all levels of the Mansion and lower level spaces,
with a full-sized elevator and stairway.
- Paulson Hall, a
completely remodeled meeting space, with a dance floor and a community kitchen.
- Relocation and reopening
of ASI’s Library and Archives, with a reading room and storage facilities.
- Two new classrooms.
- Two new handicap accessible
restrooms and upgrades to existing restrooms on the lower level.
With renovations and remodeling finished,
the American Swedish Institute turns its attention to completing the second
phase of the project, the 34,000 square foot Nelson Cultural Center.
Construction on this addition, to the south of and connected to the Turnblad
Mansion via the Hognander Tower, began in May 2011. The Nelson Cultural Center
is scheduled to open in June 2012 and will bring to the Phillips West
neighborhood of Minneapolis a new community gathering place with a café,
meeting rooms, a large event center, an outdoor plaza, and festival grounds,
and it will allow ASI to better serve a larger, more diverse constituency.
Additionally, St. Peter, Minn.-based Gustavus Adolphus College will have
offices in the new building. ASI’s campus is already home to the offices of the
Honorary Consulate General of Sweden.
The contemporary design of the Nelson
Cultural Center embraces Swedish and Nordic values — particularly respect for
innovative design, natural and quality materials, and the environment — through
energy conservation and sustainable building practices. The Nelson Cultural
Center is designed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Gold certification. Architects for the project are HGA Architects and
Engineers, and Adolfson and Peterson Construction is the general contractor.
Once the Nelson Cultural Center opens,
further work will be done in the Turnblad Mansion, including renovation of the
historic kitchen, for which the American Swedish Institute received a $90,000
grant in the Partners in Preservation grant competition conducted by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express September
20–October 12, 2011.
The newly-reopened Turnblad Mansion is
decorated for the holidays, and the annual Nordic Christmas rooms—showcasing
traditions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden—feature decorated
trees and table settings as well as this year’s special focus, handcraft and
design. ASI’s calendar is once again full of events, classes and plenty of
family activities, and the Museum Shop offers high-quality gifts from top
Nordic designers and artisans, as well as traditional Scandinavian holiday
favorites.
New museum and shop hours are: Tue.,
Thu., Fri., Sun. 12–5 p.m., Wed. 12–8 p.m., and Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The museum
is also open 12–5 p.m. on Mondays in November and December. Open hours for
ASI’s Library and Archives, newly relocated and reopen to the public, are: Wed.
4–8 p.m., Fri. 12–4 p.m., and Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
About the American Swedish Institute
The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is a
vibrant arts and cultural organization, museum, and historic home located at
2600 Park Avenue near downtown Minneapolis. ASI attracts more than 60,000
people each year for tours of the landmark 1908 Turnblad Mansion, exhibits,
classes and events that connect the community to contemporary Nordic culture
and cultural heritage. Founded in 1929 by Swedish immigrant newspaper publisher
Swan J. Turnblad, ASI now serves as a gathering place for people to share
stories and experiences around universal themes of tradition, migration, craft
and the arts, all informed by enduring ties to Sweden and the other Nordic
countries. Museum hours: Tue., Thu., Fri., Sun. 12–5 p.m., Wed. 12–8 p.m., and
Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Open Mondays in Nov. and Dec.12–5 p.m. (closed most
holidays and Mondays Jan.–Oct.). Museum admission: $6, $5 ages 62+, $4 ages
6-18 and students with ID. For more information, visit ASImn.org .
