The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) and the Maricopa County Southeast Justice Center (SEJC) have been recognized for design excellence in the 2024 American Architecture Awards program, organized by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, and Metropolitan Arts Press. SHSMO received an American Architecture Award in the Institution category and SEJC was honored with an Honorable Mention in the Government/Civic Buildings category. These awards underscore architecture’s vital role in shaping cultural and civic spaces.

The State Historical Society of Missouri received an American Architecture Award in the Institution category. This annual awards program celebrates significant new buildings and planning projects designed and/or built in the U.S. and abroad by American designers.

Founded in 1898 by the Missouri Press Association, SHSMO has long been a champion of preserving, publishing, and collecting materials that reflect Missouri’s history across all periods. Its new 76,000-square-foot facility near Peace Park addresses the challenges of its previous location—a fragmented, dark, and confined space in the basement of Ellis Library at the University of Missouri. Designed through rigorous programming and stakeholder engagement, the building now serves as a functional and inspiring venue for education, research, and community engagement.

SHSMO is a hub for public discourse, hosting programs that examine critical topics such as the African American Experience in Missouri. From analyzing the African American press to exploring race, democracy, and inequality in the St. Louis suburbs, SHSMO fosters understanding of the past to inform a better future.