The
Design

The Café and Retail spaces were redesigned as extensions of an improved guest experience.

The Café, nicknamed the “Rest, Relax and Recharge” space, is about 1,000 sq ft of gallery space designed to embody the rejuvenating spirit of the outdoors, while providing the visitor a place to have a break before resuming, beginning, or completing their museum journey. Wrap-around graphics of a forest environment decorate the walls, creating a restful and invigorating space inspired by nature. The former gallery space has been redesigned to accommodate a new point-of-sale counter for drinks, snacks and ready-made lunches as well as a seating area that is visible and accessible from the Paleo Zone gallery. It has been designed to be suitable to double as a gallery program or event rental space.

The existing gift shop was refreshed with new colorful nature-themed graphics on and surrounding the store windows. The gift shop point-of-sales counter was redesigned with a natural wood and stone materials palette and is complete with an

integrated small products display to encourage impulse purchases. The counter was positioned to back onto the museum ticket and welcome desk allowing for flexibility in staffing and uses.

The wayfinding and donor recognition systems also required redesign to reflect the revitalized new look and feel of the museum. Bright, distinct, and vibrant, these new systems support the museum’s new brand and meets accessibility standards. New exterior and interior signs were designed to be easily seen by visitors with a unique shape reflecting the refreshed exterior building sign. The spacious glass vestibule is transformed into an energetic under-water scene where a hierarchy of donor names are prominently displayed. All the new signs embody the vibrant character of the natural environments featured inside the Museum, and direct visitors with ease to the full visitor experience the new museum has to offer.