Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin

Pier Wisconsin is a 120,000-square-foot educational center and museum located at Municipal Pier on Lake Michigan. The site houses Discovery World, a children’s museum, and the Great Lakes Aquatarium. The aquatarium takes advantage of its shore-side location, partially extending over Lake Michigan. The facility is also home to the Great Lakes schooner, SV Denis Sullivan, which is moored in a protected harbor. The project included an underground parking structure, extensive landscaping, and unique gardens.

GRAEF provided site/civil engineering, survey services and landscape architecture. Site/civil engineers designed new sanitary sewers, watermains and storm sewer system. Design of utility service lines, site grading, and site paving were also provided.

Landscape architects designed special gardens intended to maintain consistency with the landscaping at the neighboring Milwaukee Art Museum.

Awards: Grand Award Winner, ACEC-WI, 2008; Leading Edge Award, WCREW, 2008