The architecture of the Vicksburg Civil War Visitor Center will reinforce the narrative of the story of Vicksburg through its materials, volumes, and relationships to the land. From a distance, a faceted masonry wall emerges from the landscape, recalling the fortifications of the siege and the unique topography of the loess soil bluffs. Regional exterior materials of brick and wood have been chosen to harmonize with the context of Vicksburg.

Closer in, a trench wall is carved out of the ground, allowing the visitor to inhabit the earth as the two armies and the citizens of Vicksburg did during the siege. This walk leads to a porch element recalling the regional gathering spaces of southern vernacular architecture, while 29 supporting columns honor the states involved in the conflict. Adjacent to the porch is a lawn forming another gathering space for living history events. A soaring roof floats over these elements, forming a unifying plane, symbolizing the reunification of the country during Reconstruction. A north-facing dormer marking the entrance to the exhibition space is a counterpoint to the sloping roof and is another reference to the regional architecture.

Below this unifying plane are a sequence of gallery spaces alternating from light to dark to light, enhancing the power of the narrative as the visitor weaves through the stories of prewar Vicksburg, Grant's campaign, the siege, and Reconstruction through the creation of the modern-day military park.

Upon exiting the exhibition space, the visitor will emerge once again under the porch with a view of the ravine and the national park beyond. The siting of the building adjacent to the edge of the national park reinforces the relationship of man and nature to the story of Vicksburg – darkness and light, contrast and contradiction, war and peace. The visitor center will act as a new entry threshold to the park.