The Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium has unveiled its new museum in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, following a transformative $41 million project, including a 1,189 m2 (12,800 sf) expansion and a 7,618 m2 (82,000 sf) renovation.
Designed by the architecture firm EskewDumezRipple (EDR), in collaboration with architect and exhibit designer, CambridgeSeven, and constructed by general contractor, Broadmoor, with Dupont-LeCorgne serving as construction consultant, the project is a revitalization of a civic and cultural amenity in New Orleans downtown, adjacent to the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.
The project included the relocation of the existing insectarium from its previous home in the Customs House on Canal Street and the expansion and renovation of the aquarium itself—two vital community offerings housed for the first time under one roof—the project represents Audubon’s first major renovation for the aquarium since opening in 1990.
Along with this new program, the scope covered a crystalline-configured entry identifying the relocated main entry lobby and ticketing area. Further, a new lobby grand stair and glass bridge were added, the existing Mississippi River Gallery was envisioned into a bayou experience; and the Amazon Exhibit Gallery was refreshed. Other modifications include the introduction of a new top-of-Gulf tank experience, two new gift shops, and the reversal of the exhibit flow experience throughout the aquarium’s exhibit spaces.
Beyond the renewed exhibit spaces, a creative infill and reimagining of the old large-screen theater allowed for additional programming space to support Audubon in its mission. While a second-floor infill was used to house an open expanse portion of the insectarium, the first floor hosts a new multi-purpose event space bordering nearby Woldenberg Park.
Haley Robinson, project architect from EDR, spoke of the effort. “This project was a true collaboration between client, architect, exhibit, and construction teams. The project provides a new window into the exceptional work of Audubon, its environmental stewardship mission, and is also a key component of the ongoing revitalization of the New Orleans riverfront.”
“This project reflects Audubon’s mandate to the design team to reach for the stars and reflect always, [it is] the over-arching message and mission of conservation,” says Peter Sollogub, CambridgeSeven design principal for the project. “Its vision and completion represent commitment and collaboration at its finest, using creativity, storytelling, and exploration to transmit nature’s wonder and wow to its community.”
