Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, the new 146,000 SF, three-story archives facility serves as a cornerstone in preserving and sharing Pennsylvania’s rich history.
As the Professional of Record, VITETTA, a DRG Company, led project management, architectural documentation, procurement support, and construction administration. HGA collaborated on the architectural and interior design while also delivering structural, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, electrical, security, and technology engineering services. Civil engineering was handled by Navarro & Wright, with landscape architectural design by Debra A. Kirkpatrick.
The project was completed in multiple phases. Phase 001, which involved the design and construction of the new archives building, began in May 2020 and was completed in 2022. Phase 002, completed in November 2017, focused on demolishing existing structures and clearing the site. Phase 003 addressed site utility infrastructure, including the demolition and relocation of multiple utilities to support the new facility. Through these coordinated efforts, the Pennsylvania State Archives successfully transitioned into a state-of-the-art facility designed to preserve and protect the state’s historical records.
The building is 3-stories above a ground-level and contains a 46,500 SF temperature and humidity-controlled storage area to house historic artifacts and documents. There is an Interior dock for loading/unloading of transport vehicles and for receiving and temporary storage areas for incoming items. There is a dedicated freight elevator for movement of historic artifacts within the building. The ground floor has the staff toilet/locker rooms, a private room for nursing mothers, the facility management/security office, and mechanical and electrical rooms. The main public entrance is on the first level. There is a 2-story atrium for public use with small reference library, computer desks, and lounge areas, and a 1500 SF classroom. On this level, there is also lockers, vending, and a kitchenette for staff and private use, a 200 SF space for rotating historical exhibits, and 17,566 SF of archives storage including 3,976 SF of cold storage. The second floor provides additional archives storage, space for working with historic artifacts under controlled conditions, the Director’s suite with multiple shared conference rooms, private offices for division chiefs and section heads, open office areas for staff, and a staff break room with kitchenette. There is also a roof terrace adjacent to the staff dining room. The third floor contains 19,657 SF of archives storage.
- "I think this is the coolest building in state government" -Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania
