Baseball Hall of Fame Undergoes Major League Reconstruction

Baseball Hall of Fame Undergoes Major League Reconstruction
Cooperstown, N.Y., rededicated its revered National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum July 29, after a two-year, $20-million reconstruction overseen by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture’s principal Hugh Hardy, FAIA, with H3’s Jack Martin, AIA; Mario Censullo, AIA; and Jonathan Strauss.

Mindful of the treasures and traditions contained within, the architects transformed the site’s seven buildings into a single facility that gained 10,000 square feet of exhibit space for 35,000 artifacts of the national pastime.

"Once you’re in the main stair lobby it really feels like you are in a special place," says H3’s Censullo.

"And for many people it is a reflection of the reverence they feel for the institution, exhibits, and especially for the plaque gallery."

"As you walk into the lobby you have a picture view of the plaque gallery, so that builds the anticipation of getting toward your destination." Censullo says the architects "reclaimed" an area for the grand stair entry between the original gymnasium for Cooperstown, built around 1910, and a small building next to it.

"Over the years they’ve added space, they’ve expanded, but that space between the two buildings still remained."

"We filled in that space."

"And it became the main vertical circulation between the three levels."

If you look to the left,