The Intrepid Museum [1] along the West Side Highway is more than just an enormous aircraft carrier ship docked to shore — the site’s complete title is the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum [2]. This will soon be easier to remember as plans have recently been revealed for its giant corresponding Space Shuttle museum [3] just blocks away. If approved, the Space Shuttle Enterprise [4] Museum will be an educational and public programming center, literally built around the giant space shuttle.
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The Enterprise shuttle is one of only 4 space shuttles donated to museums in the country. After acquiring the massive artifact this past April, the Intrepid Museum realized they were running tight on exhibition space. Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the museum, decided to feature the shuttle while improving the surrounding neighborhood by giving it its own space in Hell’s Kitchen [7]. The board currently has their eye on an empty parking lot on West 46th street and the West Side Highway.
Plans reveal a spiraling glass and steel structure built to surround the intact shuttle. Plenty of open spaces allow for visibility, natural light, and ventilation. Marenoff-Zausner believes the non-profit museum will not only bring in 300,000 more visitors, generating nearly $150 million in revenue, but will also create over 1,000 new jobs!
The sparkling new Space Shuttle Enterprise Museum [8] could begin to change the face of the often times criticized Hell’s Kitchen area by creating a fun and educational environment.
+ The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum [1]
via DNAinfo [8]
Image renderings via Jones Lang LaSalle
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