Ennead Architects and KSS Architects have just unveiled the design for the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum of Rowan University. The museum is located at the heart of a 65-acre fossil park in Mantua Township, New Jersey. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the program focuses on exploration, preservation, and education. Moreover, it allows citizens and scientists to have the unique opportunity to participate in fossil excavation alongside research actively. The visitor and the researchers will study the events leading to the fifth mass extinction, all within the confines of a 66-million-year-old former quarry. The project is scheduled to open its doors to the public in early 2024, positioning itself as a symbol of scientific exploration and environmental stewardship.
The Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum aims to integrate immersive exhibits seamlessly within a web of natural trails. Its most vital selling point is its active engagement with all visitors. In fact, guests can join researchers in excavating fossils within the quarry. Moreover, the museum also boasts its sustainable design, aiming to become New Jersey’s most prominent public net-zero emissions building. Additionally, it hopes to be the state’s first and largest Living Building Challenge (LBC) structure, achieving net-zero energy. The design incorporates geothermal wells for ground-source heating and cooling and a photovoltaic solar array, ensuring that on-site renewable energy resources meet 100% of its energy needs.
Additionally, the scheme carefully incorporates passive building efficiency techniques, a geothermal system that uses ground-source energy for heating and cooling, and an on-site solar photovoltaics (PV) field to pursue sustainability. Prioritizing renewable resources encourages a seamless integration with the surrounding landscape.
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Kengo Kuma's Proposal for the Egyptian Museum Expansion in Torino Creates New Urban AxisThe design of the park blends indoor and outdoor activities, highlighting the interconnected nature of all its elements. Upon arrival, visitors begin a journey through nature trails, the museum’s learning experiences, and the fossil-rich quarry. Here, they can actively engage in fossil excavation. Post-excavation, all visitors have the opportunity to return to the museum’s lab, where experts assist them in understanding their finds.
The museum itself offers a glimpse into the illustrious past of the location. It includes a 150-seat theatre, a fossil research workshop, three galleries displaying Late Cretaceous fossils, life-size reconstructions of prehistoric creatures, interactive learning opportunities, live animal exhibits, community gathering areas, a café with an outdoor veranda offering quarry views, a playground, and multiple gardens.
Archaeological museums often become opportunities to blend contemporary architecture with historic preservation. This February, the Grand Egyptian Museum, designed by Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, announced that it will start allowing the public into the iconic project. Additionally, Kengo Kuma Architects developed a proposal for The National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece. The proposal aims to draw attention to the importance of science in archaeology, the value of its collections, and the fundamental role and character of the museum in the present and the future. Finally, The Royal Commission for AlUla has appointed Lina Ghotmeh and Asif Khan as the lead architects for two upcoming museums to be added to the cultural oasis of AlUla, a destination in North-West Saudi Arabia displaying 7,000 years of continuous human history.
