Preserving One of Santa Fe’s Most Historic Landmarks
Atkin Olshin Schade Architects is pleased to announce our selection as architects for the interior preservation of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, NM. The Palace, a National Historical Landmark, is the oldest continually occupied public building in North America and has undergone countless renovations since it was first constructed by the Spanish government. The Palace - perhaps more than any other structure in the American West - tells the complex woven history of our indigenous, colonial, and American past. The interior preservation project will include the preservation treatment of the interiors and a complete replacement of building systems, while preparing the building for new interpretation as the largest and most significant artifact in the collections of the New Mexico History Museum.
Erected in 1610 as the territorial capitol according to the Law of the Indies, the building was extensively modified by the Pueblo tribes following the Pueblo revolt of 1680, and again by the Spanish following the reconquest of New Mexico. The building continued to serve as the territorial capitol under Mexican rule beginning in 1812 and American rule in 1846. It continued various governance functions and renovations until 1909 when its conversion into a museum was begun. To learn more about the Palace, please visit its website: Palace of The Governors.
AOS Architects brings a diverse preservation and museum portfolio to the project. We have consulted on more than 130 designated historic structures, including 25 National Historic Landmarks. From our efforts at planning, renovating, and expanding museums such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, RISD Museum, Penn Museum, Rosenbach Museum and Library, and the Center for Contemporary Arts, we are experienced with accommodating the contemporary needs of both visitors and collections within historic museum environments. Through our award-winning work at Ohkay Owingeh on the preservation of their 700-year old village, we are experienced in the rehabilitation of historic places with complex and undocumented physical histories and the development of unique preservation approaches suited to challenging cultural contexts. We have completed innovative preservation and interpretive planning efforts for complex historic sites such as Fort Apache in Arizona and Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia through which preservation and interpretation are properly balanced in ways that effectively steward the past while demonstrating its relevance for the future. We look forward to bringing this approach to the Palace of The Governors.
