The design for the new building, made from lengths of railroad lumber stacked at subtle angles, torques as it rises from the street like a game of Jenga. Its corner elevations evoke the downward-facing gables of an inverted log cabin. The form is a playful reference to a long-destroyed storage facility that was once a town landmark. The 30,000-square-foot scheme encloses exhibitions spaces, a restaurant, and gift shop on four levels inside the wooden hull, capped by a roof terrace.

Working with Salt Lake City firm Architectural Nexus, BIG beat out competing proposals by Brooks + Scarpa Architects, Sparano + Mooney Architecture, Will Bruder + Partners, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The project is expected to break ground in 2013 and cost upwards of $10 million, though fundraising has not yet begun.