The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is celebrating the next step in its current transformation and expansion. Eight of its most iconic attractions are returning to the exhibit and will now be featured in the Visitor Hall.
Spanning across 14,650-square-foot, the Visitor Hall showcases specimens placed along a timeline that reflects significant milestones in the history of the Universe. The timeline has been funded by the Museum Board Member Doug McCreery and his wife, Dr. Laurie McCreery.
According to Museum President & CEO Sonia Winner, “The Museum has always been a valuable resource to our city, our region, and the world. We are excited to celebrate the return of our Museum’s most beloved specimens in a community space that is free to all visitors. This is an exciting milestone in our transformation that has been in the making for 20 years. We now have a little more than a year until we unveil the Museum’s new wings and the completely reimagined exhibits that will put our guests at the center of the experience.”
The Museum has undertaken an important transformation, relying on the expertise of Panzica Construction and the integrated design work of DLR Group. The redesigned exhibits, created in collaboration with G&A (Gallagher & Associates), will offer a fresh perspective on natural history by avoiding the traditional approach of compartmentalization by time period, geography, and types of living things. Instead, they will present integrated storylines of planetary and biological processes, making these powerful forces tangible and relevant to contemporary life. The new, renovated, and reorganized exhibit spaces will expand programming and reimagine the presentation of the Museum’s world-renowned collections. DLR Group’s visionary work includes several phases of renovation and an addition that will enhance exhibit, educational, and gathering spaces. The design is inspired by the Museum’s commitment to sustainability and its relationship with surrounding bodies of water, creating a single and continuous form that ties together current and previous additions.
“DLR Group is honored to be partnering with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on this multiphase transformation,” said DLR Group Principal and Global Architecture Leader Joshua Haney, AIA. “The Visitor Hall acts as a welcoming and inclusive haven for museum visitors to step in and discover captivating exhibits and interactive opportunities that broaden their understanding of the natural world both within and beyond the city of Cleveland.”
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has been in a partnership with the firm for over six decades since 1955. The latest transformation project consists of multiple phases and aims to upgrade collections and exhibit areas, research spaces, offices, and classrooms. The project also involves the reorganization of all public galleries and the consolidation of all collection storage.
