Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center / designLAB architects

Located on a former industrial complex, the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center narrates a history without the use of historic artifacts. When a fire burned down the last remaining structure of the once-sprawling steel mill on the site, the land was cleared and planning began for a new, purpose-built visitors center to celebrate the history of the site and the surrounding community. The challenge for the design team was to create a place that communicates a rich and layered history, despite all architectural remnants of that history having been erased. The devised solution consists of five key elements: