Are Architecture Tours the New Travel Trend?

Inspired by the landscape of Utah and set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the prominent new building blends seamlessly into its surroundings, the angles of the roof rising and falling with the slope of the mountains in the background. At its base, board-formed concrete makes the transition from the earth to the manmade. Copper panels constitute the skin of the building, extending from its volume at angles that reference the geophysical processes that created the metal. The standing seam copper façade is articulated in horizontal bands of various heights to emulate geological stratification on the building skin. A rational structural grid defines the north and south program elements. These two grids shear apart at the center of the building to create a canyon-like public space.

Natural History Museum of Utah

The NHMU has also incorporated the use of recycled materials, local resources, photovoltaic energy, radiant cooling and implementing an extensive storm water catchment and management system, putting it on par for LEED Gold certification, which would make it one of only 18 buildings in Salt Lake City to be awarded this distinction.

Natural History Museum of Utah

The response to the new space has been so overwhelmingly positive that the NHMU is now offering Architecture Tours! These guided tours are offered every weekday at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm, as well as on Sunday afternoons at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm. The cost of the Architecture Tour is included in the admission to the Museum—just $9 for adults.

More information: Natural History Museum of Utah