2018 Snapshot:
Bringing history to life sometimes means blending the past with the cutting edge. When Christner Architects began transforming a historic building into a space for exhibits and small events, they faced a challenge: how to renovate without losing the building’s historic character. That’s where TWM stepped in with 3D laser scanning expertise.
Standing proudly for more than 150 years, the 7,000 sq. ft. red brick Georgian-style museum building at the Missouri Botanical Garden is a true piece of history. Founded by English philanthropist Henry Shaw in 1859, it’s believed to be one of the first structures built in the garden.
Originally, this space was alive with discovery—serving as a library, research lab, lecture hall, and herbarium that housed over 60,000 dried plant specimens from the garden’s early collection. As the garden grew and evolved, the building eventually became too small to keep pace with its expanding collections, leaving this historic gem in need of a new purpose. Updates were needed to transform the building into a functional museum for displaying the garden’s art and botanical collections.
Using 3D laser scanning, our team created an incredibly detailed virtual map of the building, capturing every floor, the exterior, and even the iconic ceiling featuring the 1858 Pomarede artwork. This precision allowed architects to preserve delicate features, like the vertical panels flanking the skylight, while limiting access to sensitive areas such as the upper balcony.
By combining advanced technology with a deep respect for history, TWM helped turn a renovation into a careful, informed preservation effort—where every beam, panel, and artwork was accounted for, and the building’s story can continue for generations to come.
