Meow Wolf Art Complex

Autotroph had the honor of working collaboratively with the internationally acclaimed Meow Wolf Artist Collective to bring the award-winning Meow Wolf Art Complex to life. This multi-purpose art space in Santa Fe involved renovating a 33,000 SF former bowling alley into a contemporary and immersive multimedia experience. It is a creative hub, tourist destination, and serves as a for-profit business model for emerging artists in Santa Fe. Autotroph was awarded AIA's Design Excellence Citation for this project in 2016, and are pleased to see the continuous progressions and recognition awarded to Meow Wolf since their opening.

The centerpiece of the Meow Wolf Art Complex is a 20,000 sq. ft. attraction called “House of Eternal Return”, a follow-up to the group’s wildly successful “The Due Return” exhibition held in 2011.  The Art Complex also includes a gift shop, game arcade, a classic gallery space, a community makers' space (Make Santa Fe), The David Loughridge Learning Center and a 300 person performance venue.

The existing building was gutted and transformed into a work of art itself.  The floor plan is re-organized to accommodate program requirements in a straightforward layout, while allowing the walls of the building, inside and out, to be a canvas for art. The parking lot is designed as an exterior flex-space that features sculptures, video installations, food trucks and picnic areas. 

The permanent installation the “House of Eternal Return” is an immersive art experience that transports audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of storytelling.  Visitors enter a seemingly normal Victorian house and discover portals to alternative realities and dimensions supplying children with a fantastic world to play within and giving adults a sophisticated artistic experience with narrative depth.  This installation was designed and constructed by a team of over 200 local artists, builders, storytellers, and computer programmers. More information about the installation and events is available on the Meow Wolf website.

The Contractors were Constructive Assets, LLC. for the building renovations and Ragano & Careccio Inc. for the House of Eternal Return exhibition space.

The Grand Opening was held March 17, 2016. You can learn more about our work with Meow Wolf in The New Mexican's Pasatiempo and the New York Times.