Entrance pavilion adds subtle style to Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

A $13 million gift from the Otis Booth Foundation is funding a new entrance pavilion at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. CO Architects, Los Angeles, is designing the frameless structure with an energy-efficient curtain wall, vertical suspension rods, and horizontal knife plates to make it as transparent as possible. The goal is to have the three-story pavilion recede in deference to the museum’s exhibits, including a 63-foot-long fin whale skeleton that will hang from ceiling. A new pedestrian bridge will rise over outdoor terraces, gardens, and pathways before connecting to the Otis Booth Pavilion. The project is part of the museum’s new North Campus and is scheduled for completion by November 2013, in time for the museum’s centennial.