The new 190,000 sq.ft. museum is located on Raleigh's Bicentennial Mall, one block north of the State Capitol building. The design seeks to achieve two seemingly conflicting objectives: entice visitors to come to the museum by imparting a clear sense that it is a place of discovery and excitement, while also responding sensitively and harmoniously to the substantial and dignified institutional buildings that share the Bicentennial Mall.
http://www.naturalsciences.org/
printable project page (pdf file)