New Alberta dinosaur museum one of top 10 projects in the world

The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum near Grande Prairie, Alta. was selected by Canadian architectural magazine Azure as one of “Top 10 Projects to Follow in 2014.”

The new $34.6 million museum, now under construction, is scheduled to open next December in Wembley, about 10 kilometres west of Grande Prairie.

Brian Brake, executive director of the Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Initiative, the group planning the 40,000 square foot facility, says it’s incredible that the project made it to Azure’s list.

“We’ve been working on this project since 2002, we’re into the eighth month of construction,” Brake told the CBC's Radio Active host Portia Clark on Tuesday. 

“We’re going to cut the ribbon on the building in August and everybody is really anxious and excited to see everything come together.”

Brake says Teeple Architects submitted their design to Azure for consideration. 

The building was designed to allow for plenty of natural light. The roof uses shale rock to mimic the skin of an alligator.

“When it’s all laid out it almost looks like scales on an animal or a fish,” he said.

The list also includes projects in China, England and the Netherlands.