SOUTHERN UTE CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM
The museum is located on 8.5 acres overlooking the Los Pinos River at the intersection of State Highway 172 and County Road 517 in Ignacio, Colo. It is situated on the Southern Ute Reservation, which consists of approximately 310,000 acres across three counties in southwest Colorado. Ignacio, which serves as the headquarters for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, is located 25 miles southeast of Durango, Colo.
The new 52,000-square-foot facility is a stunning addition to the architectural landscape in southwest Colorado. As the only tribally-owned cultural center in Colorado, the museum has been developed to conserve and promote the history and culture of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and other Native Americans so that the Tribe’s young people and the community will always be known and will remember what it means to be Southern Ute.
The state-of-the-art museum houses the Tribe’s existing collection of more than 1,500 artifacts. It also includes a multi-media room, permanent and temporary exhibit rooms, arts and crafts classrooms, and gathering spaces for Tribal and community functions.
The new 52,000-square-foot facility is a stunning addition to the architectural landscape in southwest Colorado. As the only tribally-owned cultural center in Colorado, the museum has been developed to conserve and promote the history and culture of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and other Native Americans so that the Tribe’s young people and the community will always be known and will remember what it means to be Southern Ute.
The state-of-the-art museum houses the Tribe’s existing collection of more than 1,500 artifacts. It also includes a multi-media room, permanent and temporary exhibit rooms, arts and crafts classrooms, and gathering spaces for Tribal and community functions.
CONCEPT
The design is based on the Circle of Life, a theme central to Ute life. The central conic form—eminating from multiple cultural sources including the teepee, wickiup, and woven basketry—is constructed to allow it to glow inward by day and outward by night. The two wings emulate an eagle and embrace a courtyard landscaped with native plants and a stream. The Cultural Center and Museum gives voice to the Southern Utes, preserving their story so that future generations will know what it is to be Ute—while also promoting regional tourism and educating visitors about their vibrant culture. |
The Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to interpreting the history and culture of the Southern Ute Tribe. Funding for the design and construction of the $38-million museum was provided through the Southern Ute Tribe as well as through contributions from grants, foundations, members and donors.
Jones, himself of Cherokee | Choctaw heritage, became involved in Native art and architecture early in his career due to his belief that one must bring new life to indigenous design and commit to taking a sort of pilgrimage to Native cultural environments thereby becoming influenced and inspired by the rich aspects of these Native traditions. He encouraged a proactive personal seeking of this heritage as a way to gain an awareness of the Native environment. This individual participation in the culture of a region would contribute to one’s understanding of distinctive forms. Once one has experienced this uniqueness of site, the subsequent built environment and landscape design will more honestly evoke Native stories and connections to all four of the worlds present in indigenous beliefs: natural, animal, spiritual and human.
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The importance of these four worlds to design and structure, according to Jones, cannot be underestimated —as these elements become the formative basis of the project. Jones reflected that the natural world has the potential to effect us everywhere and needs to embrace the idea of sustainability as a constant. The natural world deals with light and the seasonal equinox and solstice patterns. Thus, in designing for a site the very initial step taken should be noting the cardinal directions, the location of the sun, and the stars in the cosmos.
Animals are of importance to a design and structure as well. Many Native stories come from the animal world. Using the inspiration of a living, breathing thing, whether a delicate frog, butterfly, bird or dragonfly to tell a story about life, existence and the fragility of living beings becomes a powerful design principal. The spirit world contains objects such as rocks, views, mountains and trees, as all things have a spirit, says Jones. Understanding or recognizing this idea of the spirit world will translate to a respect for the site and a comprehension that the land has something to tell. Equally important is the human world as in all work there is the element of the passing on of knowledge. Good design must provide opportunities to pass knowledge; and this component comes from the human world.
Using the idea of a canoe filled to the brim with elements from all four worlds: natural, animal, spiritual, and human, Jones urged architects to “listen to the client, respect the land of the site, and be aware of the bigger message.” The built environment is not just a sequence of buildings, said Jones, but structures that contain “life messages” and serve to act as translators of both ancient and indigenous gifts.
Animals are of importance to a design and structure as well. Many Native stories come from the animal world. Using the inspiration of a living, breathing thing, whether a delicate frog, butterfly, bird or dragonfly to tell a story about life, existence and the fragility of living beings becomes a powerful design principal. The spirit world contains objects such as rocks, views, mountains and trees, as all things have a spirit, says Jones. Understanding or recognizing this idea of the spirit world will translate to a respect for the site and a comprehension that the land has something to tell. Equally important is the human world as in all work there is the element of the passing on of knowledge. Good design must provide opportunities to pass knowledge; and this component comes from the human world.
Using the idea of a canoe filled to the brim with elements from all four worlds: natural, animal, spiritual, and human, Jones urged architects to “listen to the client, respect the land of the site, and be aware of the bigger message.” The built environment is not just a sequence of buildings, said Jones, but structures that contain “life messages” and serve to act as translators of both ancient and indigenous gifts.
Reference:
Jones and Jones Architects and Landscape Architects. SOUTHERN UTE CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM. Retrieved from http://www.jonesandjones.com/
Jones and Jones Architects and Landscape Architects. SOUTHERN UTE CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM. Retrieved from http://www.jonesandjones.com/