NAME
THE FLAGLER KENAN PAVILION

LOCATION
Palm Beach

ARCHITECT
Smith Architectural Group

SIZE
8,100 SF

DESCRIPTION

Although not an historic restoration, the design and construction of The Flagler Kenan Pavilion at The Flagler Museum required replicating, to the smallest detail, a turn-of-the-century railway station that matched the authenticity and exact architectural style of The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. The Pavilion is the first public Beaux Arts-style structure built in the United States in six decades, and was built to house railroad magnate Henry Flagler’s personal Railcar No. 91, displays a permanent exhibit on Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway, and is home to Whitehall Cafe.

The construction of the Pavilion is unique in the fact that the historic railcar was lifted into the station, set on railroad tracks, placed in protective housing, and then the station was constructed around it. Dramatic architectural and historical details were used to replicate the train car era. The Pavilion features vaulted ceilings, soaring spaces, elaborate lighting fixtures, ornate columns and spandrels, as well as many sophisticated appointments that are designed to protect the building’s priceless treasures, including museum quality air conditioning and moisture control systems. A large skylight with a ceramic frit pattern was designed to minimize UV exposure.