American Banjo Museum

American Banjo Museum

ADG Blatt worked with the American Banjo Museum to create a new museum, gallery and performance venue in Bricktown that would appeal to an international audience. The design features clean, modern exhibit spaces with an Art Deco flair (1920s and 1930s), because this time in history was not only the “prime time” of Bricktown, but was also the Golden Age of the banjo in American music.

The 6,400-square-foot warehouse, originally built in 1920 as a wholesale grocer and later put to use as a candy factory, was renovated to create light-filled spaces that feature numerous one-of-a-kind banjo masterpieces. Renovation uncovered a number of unforeseen issues that required design modifications, such as columns that had not been recorded in previous drawings and an exterior wall that leaned out of plumb by a couple of inches. Through collaboration between owner, architect, structural engineer and contractor, these issues were worked through and help give the American Banjo Museum its distinctive character.