A dinosaur museum in Wembley, Alberta, Canada has been included in an architecture magazine's list of 'Top 10 Projects to Follow in 2014'.
The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, designed by Canadian firm Teeple Architects and named for Canada's most prominent dinosaurologist, appears alongside projects in China, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and elsewhere in Canada, in a list which focuses on 'innovative, forward-looking and socially relevant' architectural design.
David Dick-Agnew, editor of
Azure magazine said: "We looked at projects from around the world, and one of the most important criteria was a certain adventurousness when it came to form.
"We wanted projects that aren't afraid to explore new ways of relating to their surroundings, and to the different ways people will ultimately use them. Often this means developing new construction methods in order to realize something that nobody has done before.
"The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum makes a really bold gesture in the way it encloses its exhibition space inside a very solid, sculptural shell that seems to burst open into a soaring glass entrance where articulated dinosaur skeletons will be displayed."
He added that the museum also stood out due to its unique location, saying: "Most of the entries on our list are based in highly built-up urban areas like Milan, Toronto and Vancouver, already stuffed with landmark architecture. Only the Dinosaur Museum has the opportunity to bring contemporary architecture of this scale into a totally new region and will surely transform its site".
Martin Baron, partner at Teeple Architects, said: "This has been a very special project for our firm, one that we have poured our hearts and souls into, and one that we are extremely excited to see realized.
"The building tells the story of the bone-bed, the scientists and researchers, and of the Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai. But more than that, the building tells the story of the collaborations that made it a reality. It is like an old-fashioned barn raising of a very high-tech building."
Reich + Petch Design International are working with staff from the museum to create the exhibits and Stephen Petri, principal, commented: "The excellent sightlines of the building and the openness of the space have allowed us to create a really special world on the inside.
"All the elements – the building's architecture, the exhibit design, and the palaeontology that's at the root of it all - have come together seamlessly to create an immersive visitor experience capturing the excitement of the discovery of new dinosaur species."
Work on the 41,000sq ft (3,800sq m) structure commenced in the summer of 2013, with completion scheduled for the autumn of this year. Facilities will include two classrooms, a theatre, a gift shop and a restaurant.
The project has been funded by regional municipalities, the provincial government, industry and private donors.
