Juneau Visitor Center
Juneau Visitor Center
Juneau, Alaska
JYW provided design services for Juneau's new waterfront Port Custom and Visitor Center buildings, dock construction, and park tourism related outdoor spaces. The new and improved facilities serve as a gateway for visitors entering the capital city via cruise ship. The two new facilities are located adjacent the Mt. Roberts Tramway and the southern end of the Seawalk. The location on Juneau's cruise ship dock plays a critical role to Juneau's tourism industry and as such required a two phase project. Construction occurred over winter months of October to May for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 winter seasons allowing the Owner to use the site for the summer months of tourism. The project included asbestos abatement, building removal, pile driving and dock construction, construction of two separate buildings, landscaped and paved park areas including steel and fabric structures and bus canopies.
The Juneau Visitor Center began as a project encompassing US Customs, CBJ Port Maintenance, and the Juneau Visitor Center in one building. It was ultimately determined that the Visitor Center should be independent of other functions, in its own building. CBJ Docks & Harbors envisioned it to be no more than 1,000 sf fitting the description of "You will know it when you see it." The forms and features used in the structure call back to the sloping ships transom. The metal siding shimmers and changes colors with the light reminding one of scales on a fish.
* Photos by Jensen Yorba Wall, Inc. * Photos by Ken Graham