Southern UTE Cultural Center and Museum
Location503 Ouray Dr, Ignacio, CO, USA
Type(s) of establishment
Type Permanent exhibition
Collection Native saddlebags, children’s dolls, clothing, weapons of war, baskets
The Southern Ute Museum in Ignacio is a Southwest cultural resource and regional highlight, designed by Seattle-based Jones & Jones Architects .
The exhibits were designed in 2010 by West Office Exhibition Design and fabricated in collaboration with Superior Exhibits & Designs .
Native saddlebags, children’s dolls, clothing, weapons of war, baskets and other artifacts from the 19th century were among some of the items that were displayed and loaned to the tribe by the Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian.
Native saddlebags, children’s dolls, clothing, weapons of war, baskets and other artifacts from the 19th century were among some of the items that were displayed and loaned to the tribe by the Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian.
The Scope
Zone’ scope included a variety of wall cases to display these highly sensitive objects, one of which being a 40 ft. long faceted curved case with multiple seamless doors, estimated to weight over 12,000 lbs!
Challenge
The design and installation of the 40 feet long faceted case with multiple doors for full front access and a complex lighting attic with access from the top was certainly the main challenge of this wonderful project.
It needed to perfectly fit and blend with the environment and we had little time for final adjustments.
Our Solutions
The pre-assembly phase was crucial. This gigantic case was fully assembled and tested in a large rented facility near our shop. Everything needed to be adjusted and functional before shipping to the client.
The collaboration with the client and contractor, combined with the hard work of our talented designers and installers were also key to the success.
The 40 ft. long faceted curved case.
