The Royal Alberta Museum Opens Its Doors to the Public

Header photo by Christophe Benard Photography

On October 3rd, 2018, the brand new Royal Alberta Museum (the largest museum in Western Canada), opened its doors to welcome 40,000 visitors. SKOLNICK designed, and kubik maltbie provided design/build services for, a new 7,000 sf gallery at RAM devoted to children and their families that explores and highlights the natural resources and industries of Alberta.

This immersive, discovery-based “Children’s Gallery” is designed to foster intergenerational experiences and tap children’s innate curiosity. It features a paleontological dig site and a weather wall that kids can control. In addition, this multisensory gallery offers a “Maker Space”, an “Early Childhood Gallery” that features engaging activities based on the educational needs of children ages birth to six, a “Museums 101” area that highlights artifacts and their stories, and a Chautauqua performance and programming space The children’s gallery is a first of its kind in the Alberta Province.

Photo courtesy of kubik maltbie

A second gallery space, “The Bug Gallery,” was a perennial favorite at RAM’s former location. SKOLNICK’s redesign has an elegant new look and feel and was brought to life through kubik maltbie’s exhibit fabrication and showcases.

Photo by Christophe Benard Photography

This “art gallery for bugs” is a 3,000 sf exhibit that houses more than 200 live specimens plus an adjacent lab for working scientists. The central exhibit feature is an undulating sculptural structure that references a “hive” and is the home of the Museum’s collection of social invertebrates. Collection tanks and aquaria are organized around this central hub according to their natural groupings and include opportunities for visitors to get up close with the insects.