Dinosaur Hall, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County MERIT AWARD
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles
Budget $14.7 million Project Area 14,000 sq. ft. Open Date July 2011 Design KBDA Design Team Kim Baer principal, content strategist; Allison Bloss creative director; Elizabeth Salud, Amanda Hovest designers
D
inosaurs are one of the core offerings at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, with many one-of-a-kind and scientifically significant specimens. In July 2011, the museum opened the new, 14,000-square-foot Dinosaur Hall to highlight the latest dinosaur discoveries and bring the process of scientific investigation to life. The hall fills two large historic galleries, both with windows on one side. One gallery also features a massive, newly restored skylight. A key goal was to maximize use of this abundant natural light, selecting materials that respect the historical architecture while providing a contemporary yet timeless design vocabulary for the exhibit. KBDA created an exhibition program appealing to multigenerational families and school-age children
46 — eg magazine
Fabrication Lexington Design + Fabrication primary fabricator, iZone graphic panels, Crush Creative Ultraflex murals, Avery Ultraclear film, Picnic Design graphics production Photos Tom Bonner, Lisa Eisner, Ryan Miller
“ This exhibition is notable for having created one content-driven, dramatic series of galleries from three disparate spaces. The focus dinosaur mounts are dynamic and supporting evidence and interpretation is well placed.” —Jury comment
Additional images, credits, and jury comments at www. segd.org.
on field trips, accommodating “streakers,” “strollers,” and “readers.” Each exhibit section features a floor-toceiling mural introducing the theme. The hierarchy of information throughout the hall is designed to help visitors navigate, identify topics of interest, and discern key take-away messages. Bold, colorful graphics help integrate real fossils, infographics, maps, engaging text, and multimedia interactives to provide multiple points of entry. Integrated surfaces for graphics, touchable specimens, and screens eliminated the need for separate label rails throughout most of the exhibit. Recognizing the exhibit would be popular and heavily used, the touch-friendly platforms and graphic panels are constructed of durable and ecofriendly materials.