The designers of a major new paleontological museum housing one of the world's largest collections of fossils have chosen, in contrast, one of the modern world's most innovative solutions for the building: Pilkington Activ™ Clear self-cleaning glass. The Museum of the Earth, which recently opened to the public in Ithaca, New York State, incorporates both Pilkington Activ™ Clear and low-e glasses as part of a central architectural theme: looking through and learning from history.

The Museum is organised into two parallel and interconnected buildings containing three main 'worlds': The Devonian World, Triassic-Jurassic World and Quaternary World. Both buildings make extensive use of Pilkington glass for their exterior facades, with around 6000 sq ft having been used in total for the project. Aluminium curtain-walling installed by glazing contractor Cortland Glass of Cortland, NY contains insulating glass units with Pilkington Activ™ Clear glass on the exterior and Pilkington Energy Advantage™ low-e glass on the interior. Floral Glass of Hauppauge, NY, processed all glazing for the project.

The building received an Excellence in Design Award from the New York State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2004.

Photography: © Paul Warchol