Burke Museum Tag

Evidence Design is pleased to announce that the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is an 2022 SEGD Finalist. The SEGD Global Design Awards honor design that inspires and improves the human experience. The holistic, integrated program and exhibition design fulfill the Burke’s ambitious goal to eliminate barriers between the activities and collections of the museum and the visiting public. We are so proud and grateful for the role we played in helping to create this visionary, “inside-out” museum.  See photos and read all about the project in the SEGD Finalist Gallery.

Evidence Design is honored to co-present the closing plenary session of the 2020 Building Museums Symposium with our colleagues at the Burke Museum. The session will focus on how an unwavering commitment to radical transparency led the Burke on a journey to build new facility that seamlessly integrates back-of-house activities with public experiential spaces. Featuring 13 visible labs and workrooms and a people-centered interpretive strategy, the Burke is a new kind of museum—and a whole new way to experience our world. We will explore how to define a clear and authentic vision for a project, how to communicate and stay true to that vision at critical junctures, keys to forming deep and collaborative relationships, and effective prototyping to verify, develop and refine the vision. We hope that others gain insights for their own projects, large or small.

In addition, March 2020 marks the ten-year anniversary of Science Storms at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago. Evidence Design and the original MSI team will celebrate this groundbreaking exhibit’s enduring mission and beauty with special behind-the-scenes tours for Building Museum participants.

In advance of opening day, Evidence Design partner Jack Pascarosa contributed an article to the Daily Journal of Commerce’s special feature on the new Burke Museum. The piece highlights how EVD’s exhibition design informed the architecture to realize the Burke’s dream of radical transparency and acknowledges the contributions of the creative consultants that began this journey. You can read additional articles in DJC here. The new Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture  opens to the public tomorrow, October 12!

LINK: https://www.djc.com/news/ae/12126098.html

“A new way to engage with the natural and cultural sciences,” says Seattle Magazine about the new Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. In 2014 the Burke Museum tapped Evidence Design to realize the visitor experience for an entirely new natural history museum model that reveals its work to the public. We can’t wait to celebrate the Burke’s opening this October 12th.

LINK: https://www.seattlemag.com/exhibits/seattle-fall-arts-preview-inside-new-burke-museum

The Seattle Times published some fun behind-the-scenes photos of a new installation at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The work, titled “Synecdoche,” is by artist RYAN! Feddersen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. It’s part of the Burke’s transformation celebrating nature and the culture of the Pacific Northwest.

LINK: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/new-burke-museum-will-have-a-striking-and-symbolic-work-of-art/

PHOTO: Alan Berner / The Seattle Times

Crosscut, an independent, non-profit electronic journal serving the Pacific-Northwest, posted this lovely article on the development of the New Burke.

The new 110,000 sq. ft. museum will blur traditional lines between labs, collections and public gallery spaces towards a destination that invites the public to share the knowledge and activities of scientists and ethnologists, and celebrates the nature and culture of the Pacific Northwest. This daring paradigm is being tested internally by the Burke’s staff through their temporary exhibit: Testing, Testing 1,2,3. Evidence Design is incorporating the knowledge and feedback gathered by this effort to further inform final design.  We are incredibly appreciative of the work and dedication of our collaborators at the Burke!

LINK: http://crosscut.com/2017/11/the-new-burke-museum-is-a-world-to-behold-literally/

The progress continues at an impressive pace… the New Burke now has soaring multi-story windows and beautiful wood siding. We can’t wait to see these spaces filled with art, artifacts, Burke staff and guests buzzing with activity and joy. See the most recent images and video on the Burke’s construction web page.

In January, EVD took our first hard hat tour of the New Burke. At that point, one could literally “see through the walls.” It was very exciting to navigate the columns, studs, rebar, and newly poured cement in the emerging building, although it took a lot of imagination to understand what goes where!

During our April Workshop we took a second walk through the new museum building – it’s come a long way in three months! Now you can really appreciate the gallery spaces, floor-through skylights, and views from various windows.

Watch a Time-Lapse Video on the Burke’s Construction Website

On May 20, 2016, more than 500 people – elected officials, Burke and University of Washington staff, tribal leaders and local school children – gathered to celebrate the ground breaking of the New Burke, a new facility for the Washington State Museum of Natural History and Culture planned to open in 2019. Evidence Design is pleased to be collaborating with the curatorial and collections teams, museum managers and architects at OKA to realize the museum’s “inside-out” vision, which will integrate exhibits and learning areas with visible labs and collections storage

Learn more about the ground breaking festivities

Follow the Burke’s construction updates