Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Magee Marsh Visitor Center
Type of Construction
General Contracting
Square Footage
5,784
Construction Budget
$3,227,870
2023 AIA Toledo Interior Design Citation Award
The Division of Wildlife through The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is responsible for the management of Magee Marsh Wildlife Area located just north of Oak Harbor, Ohio. The Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, purchased by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in August 1951, lies in some of Ohio’s finest remaining wetlands. The marsh complex has historically been inhabited by large numbers of waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, and songbirds. The primary responsibility at Magee Marsh is the development and maintenance of high-quality wetland habitat for a diverse array of wetland wildlife species.
The Magee Marsh Visitor Center had historically provided a location for Ohio’s sportsmen and women to meet and learn information on the birds that nest or pass through the marsh. The structure, which was built in 1970, is in the heart of the marsh and had included a fireplace and various displays depicting the history of Magee Marsh. Additionally, the building had provided office and meeting space for ODNR Division of Wildlife personnel.
Every year, ODNR hosts an event called “Birding Week” which brings in close to 100,000 visitors from around the world to Magee Marsh and injects nearly $40 million annually into the local economy. It is often referred to as “The Biggest Week in American Birding”. This yearly event and the influx of people it brings brough to the attention of ODNR the need to modernize its visitor center at Magee Marsh. Much of the existing space was not being utilized to its best capacity and the exhibits had become dated. Additionally, the building was not equipped with an accessible route the second floor lookouts or accessible restrooms. Even though the building presented many structural and programmatic challenges, it was still of paramount importance to emphasize the education of the public on conservation through an experiential journey through the space.
After design charettes with the owner, the design team chose to radically redesign the circulation of the building by relocating the staircase to a centralized location, removing the fire place, and creating a tunnel through the fire place that helps create an education journey through the space from exhibit to exhibit. The design strived to focus on the education of every patron by walking the viewer through the history of the Marsh, bird migration, a large rookery, the various ecosystems of the lake shore, and the various bird species from the Marsh on the first floor. On the second floor the hunting history of the Marsh is explored as well as the history of the decoy and duck stamp creation centered around the Marsh. The second floor also incorporates various lookouts for bird watchers, access to perimeter decks, and a multipurpose/gallery space that showcases a rotating collection of duck stamps and duck decoys.
The façade of the structure was entirely replaced to be more resilient to the variable climate of the Lake Erie Shore. Large sections of bird friendly glazing were added to maximize views out into the marsh and increase natural daylight into the space. Lastly, the various decks and lookout platforms were replaced in their entirety and also increased in size to be more resilient to the natural climate and to provide additional opportunities for bird watchers. In addition to the design decisions previously mentioned, a new store for the “Friends of Magee Marsh” was incorporated into the design. This store, run entirely by volunteers, raises money for the preservation of Magee Marsh and surrounding area.
