Liberty Memorial
Kansas City, Missouri

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The Liberty Memorial is one of our country's greatest monuments, which by size, character and meaning rivals the most famous memorials in our nation's Capitol.  Dedicated in 1926 commemorating World War I, it is a masterpiece of American architecture born from a national design competition won by H. Van Buren Magonigle. The Liberty Memorial Museum has the largest and most important collection of World War I artifacts in the United States. Its classically composed, half mile long site, is located in the heart of the cultural-business district. In 1994, the facility was closed do to serious structural and material deterioration.
Restoration of the Liberty Memorial will return the monument to its original glory in all areas of the building and site. The extensive, broad scope of the restoration will comply with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the treatment of Historic Properties. High-tech non-destructive testing-analysis together with innovative design solutions are producing cost effective rehabilitation and integration of new systems. The project also updates the facilities to meet current laws and criteria related to accessibility, security, lighting and environmental controls, all in a manner that preserves the integrity of the original design.
Adaptive reconstruction of the monument will create a more durable structure and will capture the vast space below the existing observation deck, adapting it for a state-of-the-art cultural history museum. This new 100,000 square foot museum has a 33,000 square foot interactive exhibit designed by internationally acclaimed Ralph Applebaum Associates. A new addition and entrance on the south creatively adds new life and vitality yet appears to be an integral part of the original design. Comprehensive support facilities including theatre, restaurant, store, classrooms, research library, collection management and preservation facilities, and administration are all outfitted with technologically advanced systems.
As lead architect, ASAI is both designer and manager of a large team of specialists located throughout the United States.