The firm Denton Corker Marshall designed this award-winning museum (built 1998-2000), and it has probably drawn the most accolades among the recent wave of architectural projects in Melbourne.
The Melbourne Museum resides in Carlton Gardens (just northeast of the Melbourne Central Business District), across the way from the venerable 19th Century Royal Exhibition Building. The front plaza is sharp, monochromatic, and shadowed by a long metal canopy.
The building, now the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, is a remarkable collection of colors and shapes that will make a visit to the museum a memorable one even before entering it. The most eye-catching aspect of the complex is a colorful rectangular block that resembles a giant Rubik's Cube seemingly stuck into the ground at an angle. This architectural firm is famous for designing buildings with colliding forms and walls and bold colors and elements, as illustrated in the earlier Melbourne Exhibition Centre along the Yarra River. The "back" of the museum is a little softer, employing more of a curvilinear style alongside a stream and small park along with various natural elements.
The museum inside contains plenty of interactive displays, thought-provoking galleries, and scientific descriptions for adults and kids alike. Features include the Forest Gallery, the Aboriginal Centre, Children's Museum, Study Centre, and the IMAX Theatre.