Planners unveil schematics for Perot Museum of Nature & Science at Dallas’ Victory Park

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — Calling it a "living educational tool featuring architecture inspired by nature and science," Pritzker Prize Laureate Thom Mayne and leaders from the Museum of Nature & Science unveiled the schematic designs and building model for the Perot Museum of Nature & Science at Victory Park in Dallas. Groundbreaking on the approximately $185-million project will be held later this fall, and the museum is expected to open by early 2013. Almost $125 million has been raised to date.

Because the museum's mission is to "inspire minds through nature and science," the museum design fully embraces both the natural world, such as biology and geology, and the technology and engineering sciences of the man-made world.

The building, designed by Mayne and his architectural firm, Morphosis, will be constructed on a 4.7-acre site in Victory Park just north of downtown Dallas. The landscape design, created in conjunction with Dallas-based Talley Associates, serves as an extension of the building design -- thoroughly integrated with the programming of space and the overall design character.

The 180,000-square-foot structure is 170 feet tall, equivalent to approximately 14 stories. The overall building mass is conceived as a large cube floating over the site's landscaped plinth (or base). An acre of rolling roofscape comprised of rock and native drought-resistant grasses reflects Texas's indigenous landscape and demonstrates a living system that will evolve naturally over time.

The facility's interior will include five floors of public space housing 10 exhibition galleries, including a children's museum and outdoor playspace/courtyard; an expansive glass-enclosed lobby and adjacent outdoor terrace with a downtown view; state of the art exhibition gallery designated for world-class traveling exhibitions; education wing; large-format, multi-media digital cinema with seating for 300; flexible-space auditorium; public cafe; retail store; visible exhibit workshops; and offices. Lastly, the building will be a "living" example of engineering, sustainability, and technology at work.

Approximately 80% of the building is devoted for public usage.

"Our goal is to create a facility that inspires awareness of science through an immersive and interactive environment that immediately engages visitors," said Mayne. "We rejected the traditional notion of museum architecture as a neutral background for exhibits. Instead, the new building and the surrounding outdoor areas will become an active tool for science education."

Mayne adds that by integrating architecture, nature, and technology, the building will demonstrate scientific principals and stimulate curiosity for its natural surroundings.

"The new museum at Victory Park will create a distinct identity for the museum, enhance its prominence and enrich Dallas' evolving cultural fabric," said Mayne. "It's been designed to engage a broad audience, invigorate young minds, and inspire wonder and curiosity in the daily lives of its visitors."

Source: Museum of Nature & Science