Toyota Indiana
Visitor’s Center
In celebration of its 10 years in Southwestern Indiana, TMMI decided to build a Visitor’s Center located at the Princeton, Indiana Plant. The new facility accommodates public tours that feature exhibits depicting the Toyota Production System and the company’s history in both Japan and Indiana. The building is also intended to be a venue for community meetings. Approximately 30,000 visitors walk through the exhibits and tour the plant each year.
Although the character of the building evokes similarities between the cultures of Japan and Southern Indiana, the building is also designed to be a physical embodiment of the industrial functions taking place at the adjacent manufacturing plant. The exhibits within are integrated into the design, but flexible enough for transitioning due to automotive technology improvements. These exhibits showcase Toyota’s history, commitment and impact on Southern Indiana and several of their vehicles including the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Highlander. The conference rooms on the second floor provide unique views to the exhibits below. Natural day light floods the interior through large windows which contributes to energy efficiency and an overall brighter, lively atmosphere.