Helping one of the nation’s premier children’s museums develop a strategic expansion plan that would smartly create more hands-on spaces for kids to play and learn in.
The challenge: With the city of Raleigh, N.C., projected to grow 60% by 2035, and surrounding Wake County expected to double in size over the same period, Marbles Kids Museum, a local play-based children’s museum with an IMAX Theatre, anticipates a similar growth pattern in visitation. The museum presently serves almost 700,000 people each year in a 123,000 gross square foot facility, which as a result of heavy attendance is often 70% over a comfortable capacity.
Photo courtesy of Marbles Kids Museum 2016
““The need for a roadmap was clear.””
The outcome: “The need for a roadmap was clear,” said Sally Edwards, President & CEO of Marblese, especially with mounting research extolling the benefits of childhood play and with the city of Raleigh having recently completed both its 2030 comprehensive plan and 2025 downtown experience plan identifying Marbles as the key destination anchor to the Moore Square District.” She and her board selected a multi-disciplinary team of planners, strategists, architects and designers from Gensler (with Michael Altman as lead strategist and facilitator) who partnered with Museum leadership to engage the community and tap into its dreams for the future.
The team created a roadmap for growth that could potentially double the museum’s current size, accommodate a much greater number of visitors and better connect the museum to its downtown surroundings.
Michael Altman designed and led the process to gain qualitative input from over 200 stakeholders who were engaged through interviews, polls, surveys, and workshops.
You can learn much more about the plan in Michael Altman's Pulse post on LinkedIn entitled A Strategic Expansion Plan to “Create More Space For Play.” More Space for More Play Equals More Learning.