Fossil Discovery Center
Big Bend is home to one of the world's most complete fossil records. Fossils found here stretch uninterrupted for the past 100 million years, including 35 million years of the Age of Reptiles, continuously into the Age of Mammals. The park's fossil collection includes a number of iconic fossils found nowhere else.
This project, a collaboration between Big Bend Conservancy, Big Bend National Park, Lake Flato Architects, and EDX, was charged with creating an engaging interpretive experience at a remote spot in the park that would fit into the landscape, be unstaffed, and require minimal maintenance—a daunting challenge. To address this challenge, EDX collaborated with park
paleontologists, interpreters, and architectural team to shape the building's layout and design to integrate with and support the compelling interpretive story to be told. At the resulting Fossil Discovery Exhibit, completed in 2017, visitors now experience reproductions of iconic fossils near the geological formations in which they were found. The open-air pavilion was designed as four spaces, each representing a distinct geological era and environment. Each area is highlighted with a large iconic fossil representative of the era. A custom mural depicting the environment and representative species places the fossils
into context.
A fifth, expansive central space opens to the landscape and provides a spot for rest and reflection on the story being told. Viewing scopes connect visitors with relevant geological formations. All visitors, regardless of age or background, can discover the dinosaur-loving child within and engage personally with the story in a way that enhances their enjoyment and understanding of the Park and its unique paleontology.
Special emphasis was placed on programmatic accessibility—bringing content alive for visitors with low vision and blindness, hearing impairments, and cognitive differences—through the addition of tactile animal outlines, touchable bronze reproductions, and other strategies.
The Fossil Discovery Exhibit was awarded an Excellence in Exhibition Award by the American Alliance of Museums. The award commended the integration of building, story, and landscape, an affirmation of the successful design collaboration that shaped it.
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