Cleveland Museum of Natural History Unveils Bold New Designs for Campus Reinvention that will Engage People of All Ages in Science and Nature

CLEVELAND, Feb. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is moving forward with the first phase of its bold and innovative plan to renovate and expand its campus in Cleveland's University Circle as part of its Centennial Campaign. The Museum's Board of Trustees has approved schematic designs created in collaboration by a leading team of architects, engineers, green building experts and exhibit designers that realize the ambitious vision for the future Museum. The new Museum will more fully integrate science and nature into the visitor experience, and pioneer new approaches for infusing real science into science education. The building itself will be a model of sustainable building technology. New exhibition galleries will showcase the world-renowned scientific research of Museum curators and highlight the Museum's vast collections to create a powerful and engaging experience that inspires students and people of all ages to dive into science, connect with nature and explore the natural world.

The $150 million renovation and expansion project will transform and reinvent the Museum by 2020—100 years after the institution was founded. Construction will begin in March on a new outdoor Perkins Wildlife Center—one of the most popular of the Museum's exhibits and home to the Museum's live Ohio animals and native plants. In the coming year, Phase I will also include the construction of several key visitor amenities, including a parking garage with 300 spaces on three levels and a landscaped west garden that will serve as a gateway to the University Circle cultural district from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

"The amazing treasures held within our Museum and our mission to improve science education compel us to undertake this major transformation of our facilities and exhibits," said Dr. Evalyn Gates, executive director and CEO. "We are thrilled to launch the project this spring and begin realizing our plans for creating a dynamic new Museum that will play a critical role in building for the future of our community. Our staff, campaign leadership team and project architects, engineers and designers have worked together to craft plans that will strengthen our education programs, support and showcase the important work of our researchers, and offer the community immersive spaces for lifelong learning."

Through the experience and creativity of the project team, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History of the future will be an extraordinary place for discovery that is worthy of the outstanding science education and groundbreaking scientific research that the Museum has conducted for nearly a century. The project team was assembled in its entirety earlier in the schematic design process than is conventional with major capital projects. Gates and the Board of Trustees believed that allowing the design of exhibits and galleries to inform the building architecture and incorporating long-term sustainability into the design process from the beginning would produce a truly innovative, highly efficient and revolutionary building that will successfully achieve the overall vision of the Museum.

After nearly a year of working together, the project team's work has touched every part of the Museum's campus and every aspect of the visitor's experience. The resulting integrated design approach has deeply influenced the schematic designs. The renovated and expanded building will house a unique integration of the labs, collections and research into the public galleries to showcase the Museum's world-renowned assets and the discoveries behind them. An expanded number of smart, flexible classroom spaces that the Museum is calling "science studios" will be located within the exhibit galleries and adjacent to the research areas, giving students a view into the labs and collections. The Museum's living collections will be incorporated into galleries that offer visitors transformational interactions with the natural world. Each aspect of the design and engineering is being developed with the goal of creating a new model for sustainable building and energy management in the museum field, and one that is visible to the public as an exhibit unto itself. 

The Museum entry strikes a captivating presence, inviting visitors inside from Wade Oval to a beautiful, two-story glass lobby flanking the existing brilliant, titanium-coated stainless steel Shafran Planetarium structure.

"Perhaps one of the most engaging features of the building designs is the large window facing Wade Oval that will offer views into the dinosaur hall, giving visitors to University Circle a glimpse of the giant prehistoric creatures that roamed the Earth over 65 million years ago," said Gates. "We are literally creating a window into science—and inviting everyone to join in the adventure of exploration and discovery."       

 The Museum project team consists of:

PHOTO GALLERY: 
https://www.cmnh.org/centennial-photos

About The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, incorporated in 1920, is one of the finest institutions of its kind in North America. It is noted for its collections, research, educational programs and exhibits. The Museum's collections encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, and research of global significance focuses on 11 natural science disciplines. The Museum actively conserves biological diversity through the protection of more than 6,600 acres of natural areas. It promotes health education with local programs and distance learning that extends across the globe. Its GreenCityBlueLake Institute is a center of thought and practice for the design of green and sustainable cities. www.cmnh.org

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150220/176859

SOURCE Cleveland Museum of Natural History

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