The new Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park and Museum has broken ground on the Rowan University campus in Glassboro, N.J. The project’s design was inspired by the core themes of preservation, exploration, and education.
The museum is situated within an active dinosaur fossil dig site in Southern New Jersey that contains thousands of fossils and provides a view into life during the Cretaceous Period 66 million years ago. The dig site was used for mining for over a century and is now a 4-acre quarry, surrounded by a 65-acre property that allows “citizen scientists” to dig for fossils alongside Rowan University’s paleontologists.
The design concept for the site was envisioned as a set of metaphorical camera obscuras. The site, the experience, and the architecture are all envisioned as a series of lenses. The building is nestled within the natural landscape as a series of small-scale pavilions that frame the dig site and encourage engagement with the present moment.
The 44,000-sf museum will feature a heavy timber and cross-laminated timber structure and wood cladding to maximize the use of renewable materials. It will act as a learning and research center and an exhibit experience with laboratory space and programs. The museum will feature three immersive galleries with fossils from the late Cretaceous period, full-scale reconstructions of extinct creatures, hands-on learning experiences, live animal attractions, virtual reality, connections to the natural world, and community gathering spaces.
The project will be New Jersey’s largest public net zero facility. Sustainable features include geothermal wells for ground-source heating and cooling systems and a photo voltaic solar field. These features will allow 100% of the energy used by the museum to come from a combination of green energy from New Jersey’s power grid and the renewable energy produced on-site.
The Fossil Museum is slated for completion in 2023.
Related Stories
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Apr 14, 2015
Fire resistive curtain wall brings maximum light, views and safety to Aspen Art Museum
The curtain wall used for the Shigeru Ban-designed museum provides maximum daylight while protecting the art from fire
Museums | Apr 10, 2015
Henning Larsen Architects designs timber museum extension in Sweden
The new extension will complement Österund’s wooded surroundings
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
14 projects that push AEC teaming to the limits
From Lean construction to tri-party IPD to advanced BIM/VDC coordination, these 14 Building Teams demonstrate the power of collaboration in delivering award-winning buildings. These are the 2015 Building Team Award winners.
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
9/11 museum triumphs over controversy
The Building Team for this highly visible project had much more than design, engineering, and construction problems to deal with.
High-rise Construction | Mar 16, 2015
Mexican Museum tower caught in turmoil to break ground this summer in San Francisco
Millennium Partners said it will break ground on the 53-story residential and museum tower while the lawsuits go through the appeals process.
Museums | Mar 9, 2015
Architecture based on astronomy principles for new planetarium in Shanghai
The ancient Chinese civilization left some of the earliest records of humans studying the stars and skies. To exhibit this long history, a new planetarium and astronomy museum is planned for construction in Shanghai.
Museums | Mar 5, 2015
A giant, silver loop in Dubai will house the Museum of the Future
The Sheikh of Dubai hopes the $136 million museum will serve as an incubator for ideas and real designs—a global destination for inventors and entrepreneurs.
Architects | Feb 27, 2015
5 finalists announced for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award
Bjarke Ingels' Danish Maritime Museum and the Ravensburg Art Museum by Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei are among the five projects vying for the award.
Museums | Feb 18, 2015
Foster + Partners' National Museum of Marine Science and Technology breaks ground in Taiwan
The museum will be home to an aquarium, exhibition space, and waterfront views.
Museums | Feb 17, 2015
Light will shimmer through roof cutouts in Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi
After many delays since construction started in 2009, the Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi is slated for completion sometime this year.