The Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium has opened its new museum in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, following a transformative $41 million project, including a 1,189 m.2 (12,800 square meters) of extension and a 7,618 m2 (82,000 square meters) renovation.
Designed by architecture firm EskewDumezRipple (EDR), in collaboration with architect and exhibition designer, CambridgeSeven, and built by general contractor, Broadmoor, with Dupont-LeCorgne as construction consultant, the project is a revitalization of a civic and cultural facility in New. Downtown Orleans, next to the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.
The project included the relocation of the existing insectarium from its previous home in the Duana on Carrer Canal and the expansion and renovation of the aquarium itself—two vital community offerings housed for the first time under one roof—the project represents the Audubon’s first major renovation. for the aquarium since it opened in 1990.
Along with this new program, the scope covered a crystal-shaped entrance that identified the main entrance hall and the relocated ticketing area. In addition, a grand new lobby staircase and glass bridge were added, the existing Mississippi River gallery was reimagined into a bayou experience; and the Amazon exhibit gallery was updated. Other modifications include the introduction of a new tank experience at the top of the Gulf, two new gift shops and the reversal of the exhibit flow experience in the aquarium’s exhibit spaces.
Beyond the renovated exhibition spaces, a creative infill and reimagining of the former big screen theater allowed for additional programming space to support Audubon in its mission. While an infill of the second floor was used to house an open part of the insectarium, the first floor houses a new multipurpose event space bordering the nearby Woldenberg Park.
Haley Robinson, EDR’s project architect, discussed the effort. “This project was a true collaboration between the client, architect, exhibitor and builder teams. The project provides a new window into Audubon’s exceptional work, its mission of environmental stewardship, and is also a key component of the ongoing revitalization of New Orleans’ riverfront.”
“This project reflects Audubon’s mandate to the design team to reach for the stars and always reflect, [it is] the overarching message and mission of conservation,” says Peter Sollogub, CambridgeSeven’s design director for the project. “Their vision and completion represent engagement and collaboration at their best, using creativity, storytelling and exploration to convey the wonder and wonder of nature to their community.”
