The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum is a tribute to the Team USA Olympic and Paralympic athletes located in downtown Colorado Springs, CO.  The 60,000 sqft building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Anderson Mason Dale Architects, features 20,000 sqft of galleries, a theater, event space, retail shop and cafe.  COAR Design Group was involved through the SSA Group and in collaboration with RGLA Solutions Inc. for the design and construction of the Museum Shop and Flame Café.  COAR Design Group managed the process from design inception through bidding and into construction.  This included coordination of the retail components, kitchen equipment, custom technology solutions, building systems and unique design elements of the Shop and Café with the rest of the Museum design and construction team; as well as management of the various procurement and construction processes for each.

Inspired by the energy and grace of the Team USA athletes, the building’s form circulates guests through the galleries in one continuous path all the way to the terminus at the Museum Shop ensuring all visitors can smoothly share the same common experience.  The plaza at the center of the museum complex is flanked by the Museum Shop to the South and the Flame Café to the north framing Pikes Peak and offering picturesque views from the Café to the Rocky Mountains beyond. 

The interior of the Museum Shop and Flame Café were designed to support the Museum’s mission and honor the Olympic and Paralympic ideals; celebrating the achievements of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic competitors.  This includes continuity of the guest experience by incorporating immersive digital experiences and continuing one of the most accessible and interactive museums in the world, designed so all guests experience the Museum, the Shop and the Café in the same way. Some of the inclusive designs and assistive technologies incorporated into the Shop and Café include assisted listening, universal access controls, RFID-triggered customizations, and accessible spaces with ramped circulation.

Located on the first floor just off the lobby/atrium, The Museum Shop offers a variety of unique products related to the Summer Games and Winter Games, as well as exclusive Museum merchandise all displayed on custom retail fixtures and immersive displays.  This includes the use of technology to create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, even incorporating a digital mirror to customize and ‘try on’ various products without using a changing room.

The Flame Café seats more than 150 guests in 2,800 sqft with an additional 400 sqft of outdoor dining area.The full-service restaurant can also provide for educational programs and flexible meeting space, designed with loose seating to optimize the flexibility of the space.