Let the Light In
The renovation of the David H. Koch Fossil Hall and the creation of the Deep Time exhibit preserves the building’s historic character and highlights the relationship between visitors, their place in Earth’s history, and the museum itself.
David H. Koch Hall of Fossil – Deep Time
Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History houses one of the largest fossil collections in the world. The renovation of the David H. Koch Fossil Hall and the creation of the Deep Time exhibit provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine this iconic space. This project highlights the human impact on the environment, the relationship between visitors and the museum, and the preservation of the building’s historic character.
When planning and designing this space over an 8-year period, the museum and EwingCole’s design team juggled notions of returning a strong sense of daylight to the historic gallery, identifying what portions of the specimens were vulnerable to light damage, how to reduce energy use, and how to create an environment where the public can enjoy and understand some of the most important pieces of the Smithsonian’s collection. The project was a collaboration between lighting designers, engineers, architects, exhibit designers, conservators, collection managers, facility managers, and curators.
EwingCole’s transformative renovation revitalizes one of the world’s most visited galleries. The project harmoniously blends architectural restoration with state-of-the-art exhibit integration, restoring natural light to the space, enhancing visitor experiences, and fostering educational opportunities that connect Earth’s history with contemporary environmental challenges.
Shining a Light on the Distant Past
For decades, alterations to the hall had closed off its historic skylight, obstructing natural light and diminishing the space’s original grandeur. EwingCole restored the skylight and selected exterior windows, reintegrating natural light while ensuring the safety of the fossils. The restored daylight-filled Beaux-Arts gallery enhances the visitor experience while preserving the integrity of the specimens through advanced UV protection.
Key lighting management strategies included:
- UV protection and reduced heat gain to preserve artifacts.
- Uniform light diffusion for a visually stunning and sustainable design.
Light modeling allowed designers to manage light levels throughout the design process.
The design team used early light modeling and material studies to assess daylight’s impact on the specimens and manage light levels throughout design and construction. Feasibility studies, guided by light levels in the Smithsonian’s sister halls, established a maximum of 10 footcandles (100 lux) to illuminate the hall while protecting the specimens from harmful radiation.
The final solution featured custom glazing with aerogel nanotechnology, which blocks harmful UV rays, reduces solar heat gain, and diffuses light evenly, creating a welcoming and energy-efficient environment.
Sustainable Infrastructure
Modernizing the hall’s infrastructure was pivotal in reducing energy consumption and supporting immersive storytelling. Key improvements included:
- Installation of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems to reduce power consumption by more than half compared to similar spaces.
- The use of advanced glazing to minimize heat loads while maintaining visual impact.
- Infrastructure enhancements that complement the exhibit’s climate change themes, ensuring alignment between the museum’s mission and operational sustainability.
A Detailed Restoration
Another key focus of the project was restoring the hall’s ornate plasterwork, which had been lost for generations. The design team sought to recreate these details using original methods. The templates for the new moldings were cast from the original building fabric in Ocean’s Hall, a sister gallery located in the museum.
FossiLab: A Window into the Work Happening in the Museum
The FossiLab provides visitors with the opportunity to observe paleontologists and volunteers in action. Through large viewing windows, guests can witness fossil preparation and research, bridging the gap between public exhibitions and behind-the-scenes scientific work. This interactive feature fosters curiosity and deepens engagement with Earth’s history.
“The space is overwhelming; the size of the objects is overwhelming. You never got that sense of scale before, but now visitors will see the full gravitas of the dinosaurs. It’s breathtaking.”
– Angela Matchica PE, LEED AP, LC, Director of Cultural Projects
The West Court Atrium is home to an improved cafeteria and a new restaurant. The first-floor restaurant provides a perfect viewing area for the newly installed megalodon, a prehistoric 50-foot shark. The space is warm, inviting, and organized for the museum’s millions of annual visitors. A key design element is a large custom wall graphic, an enlarged illustration by Ernst Haeckel, which inspired the color pallet of various materials such as wood, metals, natural stone, and polished concrete. The ceiling is open and blacked out with a series of eclectic light fixtures placed sporadically through the space, providing visual interest and a warm glow.
A key element of the design is a large custom wall graphic, an enlarged illustration by Ernst Haeckel, which provided an inspiration for the color palette of various materials such as woods, metals, natural stone, and polished concrete. The ceiling is open and blacked out with a series of eclectic light fixtures placed sporadically through the space, providing visual interest and a warm glow.
