International architecture firm Snøhetta is based in Oslo and New York City, with a roster of award-winning buildings from Alexandria, Egypt, to San Francisco—and everywhere in between. But it’s an upcoming project in El Paso, Texas, that has captured the heart of Elaine Molinar, a partner at the firm and its managing director for the Americas. Last month, Snøhetta was selected to design the new El Paso Children’s Museum in the city’s downtown area. El Paso, a border town of 650,000 in far West Texas, is Molinar’s hometown.
“Growing up in El Paso, I was inspired by the historic architectural stock they have and the mountain landscape,” Molinar says. “It sparked my interest in architecture before I knew it was a profession that I could pursue.” Winning the project didn’t come without steep competition, however. Three firms—Snøhetta, Koning Eizenberg in Santa Monica, California, and Mexico City-based TEN Arquitectos—were invited to submit concepts for the design, which were then presented for a public vote by city residents.
Three firms competed to win the public's vote for the top design: Snøhetta, Santa Monica’s Koning Eizenberg, and Mexico City–based TEN Arquitectos.
Snøhetta’s concepts included bright, airy, and welcoming spaces that really embody what a children’s museum should be, explains Molinar. And of course, the museum’s position—literally across the border from the Mexican city of Cuidad Juárez—gave the firm ample opportunity to create a connection between the two cities.
“We designed these picture windows and located them strategically. One looks straight toward one of the border crossings and is a window into Mexico,” Molinar tells Architectural Digest . “That was one of the big attractors to us. This museum will actually have a wider impact and an impact outside of its immediate surroundings.”
The futuristic museum will offer more than 80,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and will break ground in spring 2019, with expected completion in late 2021 or early 2022.
For Molinar, working on the $60-million project is a way to give back to a city that she believes is underrated and has lots to offer visitors and residents. “I was personally excited to work in my hometown to give something back to the place that I grew up in and still have fond memories of,” she says. “El Paso is a really exciting place with an exciting future. It’s not just the best way to get to Mexico.”
* Please note that the rendered images in this story were produced for the competition stage of the project. The museum will undergo a new design process.*
