The Atheneum

Atheneum, located near the banks of the Wabash River on the edge of New Harmony, serves as a starting point for exploring the historic town and acts as an information center for visitors as well as a cultural hub for the local community. Its architecture is conceived as an expression of connecting ideas of architectural promenade and historical pathway of one of the most utopian American communities. The ideal notion of a connection between living space and social life should still be legible in the renewed architecture of New Harmony. The visitor arrives by boat along a winding path through the fields to the building. The three-story wing extending at a 40-degree angle from the structure indicates the point of entry.
As the visitor crosses the threshold, the entrance space guides them to the inner circular ramp. All movement through the building is a fluid experience, with the inner ramp as the main medium. As the ramp winds upward from a rectangular grid, it acquires a five-degree deviation reflecting the path from the river; the entry object is full of movement, the geometry of interlacing grids evokes a sense of spatial compression at certain points, and tension at others, almost colliding in plan. These collisions are reflected throughout the interior space within the ramp, illuminated by light from above.
Upon entering the exhibition spaces on the third floor, the visitor can look back at the inner path they have taken. Framed views to the surroundings allow observation and an intuition of the character of the town and landscape.
On the highest roof terrace, the visitor is confronted with the city. This small space provides a panoramic view as from the bow of a ship. From here, the visitor descends using a second ramp - this one is straight and stepped - out of the building and into New Harmony.