Green Museum for a Green World

Seasoned travelers know well enough to stay away from museums when visiting a new city.  It’s in the outdoors where life and culture thrives, they argue.  Not within the safe, enclosed walls of buildings.

But there is still something to be said for museums and the way they organize and present a slice of culture that defines a civilization.  More so when these museums have built-in green sensibility in them.  Museums, being the purveyor of what is good and lasting, are in a prime position to be sustainable in every aspect, from architecture to operations and maintenance.  Ever since, architects have been astounding us not just with gorgeous, iconic designs but also with something that lasts beyond just the façade.

Here, we take a look at some of the notable green museums in the world today.

Graz Art Museum—Graz, Austria

Graz Art Museum—Graz, Austria

Built in 2003, this conspicuously-shaped building is proudly blob-shaped—all organic curves and almost no straight lines, looking as if a giant otherworldly creature had just landed in town.  For this, it is dubbed the Friendly Alien by its creators Peter Cook and Colin Fournier.  The real beauty of its outer glazed skins however is a series of photovoltaic cells that harness the sun’s energy for the museum’s use.

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH)—California, USA

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH) in California

The oldest museum in dedication to the victims and survivors of the holocaust, the LAMOTH’s new building was designed by renowned architect Hagy Belzberg.  The simple, almost nondescript building features an intensive 15,000 square foot green roof that is completely walkable by visitors.  The museum’s layout also lets guests descend into the structure—with light gradually waning—as they revisit one of the darkest moment in history.

Oakland Museum of California—California, USA

Oakland Museum of California

Renovated in 2010, the Oakland Museum in California gets LEED Silver certification for its various sustainable practices.  Introduction of diffused daylight reduces dependence on artificial lighting while the entire building is thoughtfully re-used to take advantage of all existing spaces.  Low‐flow plumbing fixtures also reduces water use, while the building’s restored green roof provides a soothing view as well as a stormwater solution for the area, making this truly a green museum for the people.

Samaranch Memorial Museum—Tianjin, China

Recently opened last April 2013, the Samaranch Memorial Museum is dedicated to former Olympic International Committee chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch for his remarkable influence in the role of Olympics in China.  Inspired by the five symbolic Olympic rings, the museum is a two-ring figure eight structure with 3 sunken ringed buildings surrounding it.  Photovoltaic panels aim to generate up to 76{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} of the building’s energy needs, while a geothermal heating and cooling system addresses hot water and air conditioning needs.

Canadian Museum of Nature—Ottawa, Canada

Canadian Museum of Nature

Built in 1912, this is Canada’s oldest museum, housing as many as 10 million specimens such as dinosaur and fossil exhibits as well as bird and mammal galleries.  The renovation in 2010 by KPMB Architects retrofitted this green museum with glass enclosures to maximize natural light.  The result beautifully ties the historic and the modern together in a sustainable way.