SHSMO Headquarters Wins AIA/ALA Library Building Award

The State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies won a 2025 AIA/ALA Library Building Award, one of the nation's highest honors for library design. Presented by the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association, the award recognizes projects that demonstrate architectural excellence and a strong understanding of how libraries can evolve to better serve their communities. 

Multistudio (formerly Gould Evans) of Kansas City, served as the architect for SHSMO's headquarters. The building was selected alongside a small group of national recipients, each illustrating how libraries can connect people, preserve culture, and inspire learning.  Year-around, the Center for Missouri Studies invites scholars and the public into the space that offers areas for research, exhibition, lectures, and events.

The State Historical Society opened its new headquarters on the University of Missouri campus in 2019. The building's 76,000 square feet honors Missouri's cultural and ecological heritage through its form, materiality, and programs, offering it as a hub for dialogue and discovery.