EYRC expands Cocopah Museum in Arizona with weathering steel and concrete
California-based EYRC Architects has completed a standalone extension to the Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center in Arizona, using weathering steel and pigmented cast concrete. The 1,200-square-foot gallery, separated from the original 1996 museum by a landscaped garden, features an orthogonal plan and overhanging flat roof that reference historic Cocopah dwellings. The design incorporates a woven willow lattice ceiling, a steel rebar trellis shading clerestory windows, and low-maintenance desert landscaping. EYRC and the general contractor provided services pro bono. The project involved close consultation with the Cocopah Nation to ensure cultural sensitivity.
Key facts
- EYRC Architects designed a standalone extension to the Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center in Arizona.
- The new building is wrapped in weathering steel and pigmented cast concrete.
- The 1,200-square-foot gallery has an orthogonal plan and overhanging flat roof.
- The extension is separated from the original 1996 museum by a landscaped garden.
- EYRC and the general contractor contributed services pro bono.
- A woven willow lattice covers the ceiling, referencing Colorado River vegetation.
- An external trellis of steel reinforcing bars shades clerestory windows.
- The Cocopah Nation was consulted throughout the design process.
Entities
Institutions
- EYRC Architects
- Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center
- Cocopah Nation
- Dezeen
Locations
- Arizona
- Yuma
- Colorado River
- US-Mexico border
- California
Sources
- Dezeen —