new museum

A New Downtown Landmark
In the heart of the vibrant Marina district is a striking new home for San Diego's children. On May 4th, the Children's Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego will open its new state-of-the-art facility. Located at the corner of First and Front Street and Island Avenue, the building occupies the former Museum’s site. Approximately 50,000 square feet, the new Museum spans three-stories—more than doubling previous public space.

The new Museum will include a dramatic three story atrium, a 17-foot concrete entrance bridge, angled “saw tooth” roof structure, tilt-up concrete panels based on Irving Gill’s concept, and a glass-enclosed elevator shaft that functions as a heating/cooling tower. Multiple galleries will provide spaces for hands-on experimentation. Two birthday party rooms, a 250-seat theater and an indoor/outdoor café are additional features.

The Museum is adding improved handicapped access, stroller parking, and diaper-changing tables. Additional space will allow visiting artists to work for extended periods. The Museum will also be available for rent, offering a creative location for special events.

A Civic Model of “Green” Architecture
The new structure utilizes “green” environmentally friendly architectural and infra-structural practices, including recycled building materials, photovoltaic panels, water-saving devices, natural daylighting and convection cooling. CMSD is one of the first “green” museums in California.

“In essence, the new Museum will be a signature structure that enhances the community while serving as a civic model for ‘green’ architecture and practices,” says Executive Director Rachel Teagle. The award-winning architectural firm of Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA has ensured that the building’s design integrates with its surroundings. Utilizing state-of-the-art “green” architectural elements, the new Museum will minimize negative effects on the environment.

A New Outdoor Living Room for Downtown
Immediately across from the Museum and accessible by a mid-block crossing, is a new one-acre Museum Park that will be part of the city’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade. Landscape architect Martin Poirier, of Spurlock Poirier, designed the Getty Museum’s gardens in Los Angeles. Specifically designed for children, the triangle-shaped park includes three shade-covered play spaces, for both day and evening activities.

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