The design of the Museum of Natural History is the result of a collaboration between architect Dominic Galicia and interior designer Tina Periquet. In their concept, the structure is built around an atrium, referred to in the design statement as The Courtyard, whose focal point is a massive six-storey-high functional sculpture modelled after DNA, the basic building block of life. Overall, Galicia refers to the design as The Tree of Life.

“One of the goals of the project is to bring Antonio Toledo’s architectural expression to full effulgence, framing the new Courtyard and its anchoring Tree of Life canopy, creating a meaningful and rich museum environment for the collection,” he says in the official design statement for the project.

“The Tree of Life metaphor, as presented to and approved by the Board of Trustees, is the over-arching theme of the concept. It distils into one symbol mankind’s primordial quest to understand his environment, a quest that was perhaps sparked by man’s first act of curiosity. A subtext to this is the double-helix DNA, the essential element of knowledge that the scientists of the National Museum of Natural History seek to mine with each specimen of flora or fauna that they collect.”

The Tree of Life is covered by a glass and aluminium roof that calls to mind a verdant forest canopy. The DNA helix that serves as its trunk houses a glass-walled elevator that gives passengers a 360-degree view of the interior. Ramps spreading out like branches from this trunk enable visitors to move easily from one floor to another. Galleries and offices open onto The Courtyard, so those standing at the balconies can have an unimpeded view. As additional points of visual interest, large tapestry-style prints of various plants and animals hang on the atrium walls.

High ceilings and good lighting also set this new museum apart from others, creating an atmosphere that actually encourages museum-goers to take closer looks at individual displays. Likewise, as a way of creating a truly immersive experience, several of the 12 galleries spread throughout the museum have been made to look like mangrove forests, tropical rainforests, and beaches. Models of various marine and mammalian species endemic to certain regions also add to the appeal.

Technology also has a role to play in the way this museum is changing the public’s mind-set about museums in general. Along with several viewing rooms for regular screenings of relevant documentaries, one particular attraction that constantly piques the interest of visitors is The Globe. This digitised sphere presents a dynamic display on how climate change is affecting the planet, as seen in shifting w eather patterns and the increased severity of typhoons and hurricanes in different regions. For those inclined to follow in the footsteps of noted botanist Fray Manuel Blanco, there are also plant tracing dens in the botanical galleries where visitors can try their hand at dr awing specimens of local flora.

The overall design for the museum is also an eco-friendly one. Throughout the day, The Courtyard mostly counts on ambient light filtering through the glass panes in the roof, the patterns on the floor shifting with the passage of the hours. The entire structure is also cooled by an energy-efficient system that allows for the proper circulation of air.

Strikingly innovative in terms of both its scope and its aesthetic, the National Museumof Natural History has certainly changed the way the Filipino people see such institutions. So much, in fact, that the late architect and heritage advocate Augusto “Toti” Villalon was prompted to say of it: “The days of stuffy museums are past. Today’s museums are out of the ordinary, eye-catching, and, most of all, super-educational environments. The Museum of Natural History truly intends to be such.”