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Children’s Museum Awarded “Orchid" by San Diego Architectural Foundation
New Museum Wins in ‘Sustainability’ Category

San Diego—December 3, 2007—The new Children’s Museum was honored with an “Orchid” on Friday night by the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s (SDAF) Orchids & Onions program. The recipients of this year’s Orchids & Onions were announced at a ceremony held by the SDAF at Birch North Park Theater on Friday, November 30th. The new Children’s Museum building, which features innovative, environmentally sustainable architecture, was recognized in the ‘Sustainability’ category.

“We are thrilled and proud to be honored, along with the building’s visionary architect Rob Quigley, for what we think is a beautiful contribution to downtown San Diego,” said Rachel Teagle, the Museum’s Executive Director. “The best part is, once we open in May the building will be available for all of the region’s children and families to experience and enjoy.”

Orchids & Onions is San Diego's premier awards program for the built environment. A program of SDAF, its mission is to stimulate public awareness and discussion regarding the importance of all aspects of design excellence in the built environment, thereby promoting a built environment in San Diego second only to the natural one.

About the New Children’s Museum
As a cultural and educational institution with a multi-national audience, the Children’s Museum San Diego is dedicated to integrating the unique character of our community with its extraordinary ethnic diversity, uncommon geographic border, emerging urban culture, innovative technologies and rich artistic resources.

The Museum has recently completed its beautiful new home, a 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in downtown’s Marina district. Designed by renowned architect Rob Wellington Quigley, the environmentally friendly, modern structure is made from recycled building materials and features a solar electric system, water-saving devices, and natural day lighting and convection cooling, making it one of the first “green” museums in California.

The new building features a dramatic three story atrium, 17-foot concrete entrance bridge, angled “saw tooth” roof structure and a glass-enclosed elevator shaft that functions as a heating/cooling tower. Dedicated to art galleries and hands-on studios, the new three-story building will also include an adjacent public park, birthday party rooms, classrooms, a retail store and a café. The new Children’s Museum opens to the public on May 4, 2008. For more information on the new Children’s Museum, visit the website at childrensmuseumsd.org.