Vicksburg Civil War Interpretive Center

Like the battles that took place around Vicksburg, the Interpretive Center is bound by and grows from the land, recalling the hilly terrain and manmade earthworks that comprise the battlefield. A singular iconic form on the landscape, the building is intended to represent the unity of our nation that, in large part, resulted from the victory at Vicksburg during the Civil War. The building rises up from the landscape, symbolic of the hope for our nation that was forged by the Civil War and invites visitors in to experience the Center and learn about the stories—many under told—of the full history of the campaign and siege, from pre-war Vicksburg to Reconstruction and the battlefield today.

Clad with a dynamic scrim that appears to change depending on one’s perspective, the façade takes on multiple meanings associated with unification, understanding, connection, and viewpoint. From afar, the façade appears as a powerful and strong solid piece. It is only as the visitor draws near does it begin to resemble a tapestry or fabric, made up of many individual components, all reliant on one another to succeed. This is representative of hope for the future, only possible through unification. The apparent movement of the facade reinforces that the stories told are not static history, and the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction can still be felt in America today. The Interpretive Center, and the stories told within, is a bridge from the past to the present.

While the southeast façade appears more solid on approach, the northwest façade is highly transparent, creating strong connections to the landscape and battlefield beyond, and offering many unique interpretive opportunities. The distinctly different characteristics of these unique facades, in many ways, represent various dualities associated with the battle of Vicksburg and the Civil War, including conflicting political and moral viewpoints, Union and Confederacy, free and enslaved, civilian and military.

The landscape design, through strategic clearing, grading, and planting creates memorable experiences unto itself and focuses visitors on the critical stories being told in the new Interpretive Center. The terrain in and around the area can serve as a hinderance as it creates challenges with accessibility, not allowing all visitors to experience the battlefield itself. To address this, and offer all visitors an immersive experience, a new fully accessible pathway leads visitors through a cleared landscape so that those with special needs can experience the site in a way that is otherwise difficult to access.

Multiple sustainable strategies have been incorporated into the design. The thoughtful massing and orientation of the building’s windows provide views while shading against heat and glare through large overhangs and sunscreens lined with photovoltaic film to produce a significant amount of power to serve the building’s electrical needs. The use of sunscreens (entire southeast façade) and large overhangs minimize heat gain and glare, and a reflective roof and triple glazed coated windows and curtainwall minimizes the overall heat load. The roof configuration also works well for rainwater harvesting.