Future Exterior

The Museum has long sought to raise awareness of the integral role of all Earth’s inhabitants. It is now more apparent than ever that humanity’s survival depends on the preservation of our natural environment and the life it sustains.

Through an expansion and complete transformation of our campus and exhibits, we are reimagining our visitor experience. The new Museum will highlight the interconnectedness of all life on Earth—allowing visitors to better understand their place in the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives.

The project’s designers were challenged to underscore this fact in every aspect of the new campus. The story of nature in Northeast Ohio—so central to the Museum’s mission—offered an easy entry point into this important dialogue. The designers turned their attention to the geography of the region as they planned for a complete reinvention of the Museum’s façade.

Inspired by the regions defining body of water—Lake Erie—and the landform-carving glaciers that blanketed Ohio during the Ice Age, the architects at DLR | Westlake, Reed, Leskosky chose to design the façade as a continuous, flowing form. The theme of water highlights the vast significance of this resource to the health of our region. Extending into every feature of the design for the building, it emphasizes the Museum’s commitment to acting as a positive force for the preservation of nature and biodiversity in Northeast Ohio.

“Our campus in University Circle will tell a story that will reach beyond out walls—into our community—and spur conversations that inspire the betterment of the natural world.” —Sonia M. Winner