HHL Architects designed the Niagara Gorge Trailhead Facility as part of a larger project to expand and renovate the former Schoellkopf Geological Museum into the new Niagara Gorge Discovery Center. The facility was designed to serve as a gateway and as a point of orientation to the Niagara Gorge Trail system, housing accessible public restrooms, a small park ranger’s office and a visitor information booth.
The compact, conical forms of this 650 square foot facility respond to the geometry of the adjacent Schoellkopf Geological Museum. The stone exterior was designed to further connect the facility to its larger site counterpart and to the natural rock formations of the Niagara Gorge. The 22’ projecting roof canopy shelters a user-friendly information window, a pair of drinking fountains, and restroom entrances.