Posted on: October 18, 2011
Utah Museum of Natural History to Reopen
Museum to reopen in a $103 million building on the foothills Salt Lake’s Rocky Mountains
The Utah Museum of Natural History is set to reopen on Nov. 18 in a $103 million, eco-friendly building. // © 2011 Utah Museum of Natural History
The Utah Museum of Natural History, located at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, will reopen to the public on Nov. 18 in a stunning new building, the Rio Tinto Center. The $103 million building, designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects, is seeking LEED Gold certification, which would make it one of 18 buildings in Salt Lake City with that distinction.
“We feel that [visitors] will be very proud of our new home, which is the product of the work of literally every community in the state and experts from around the world,” said Sarah George, executive director of the Utah Museum of Natural History. “I believe we now offer one of the nation’s great new cultural buildings in which architecture and exhibition content serve and advance science and education while respecting their natural surroundings. We look forward to many years of telling the exciting and important stories of the natural world.”
As an active research institution with a remarkable and growing collection of more than 1.2 million specimens and objects, the museum is an extraordinary cultural and educational asset for visitors. Over the years, the museum has garnered attention from state and local leaders, scientists and museum professionals through programs of sustained excellence in the areas of public education, scientific research, collections preservation and environmental stewardship.