In San Francisco, a "green" museum by Renzo Piano has opened

San Francisco - In California's San Francisco, a newly completed natural history museum officially opened its doors over the weekend, where under a green-roofed structure will house not only museum collections, but also a planetarium, an aquarium, and even a greenhouse with a piece of rainforest. The bold building in Golden Gate Park, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, was visited by more than 30,000 people on Saturday.
    "Most natural history museums look more like 'temples of darkness.' But we wanted to achieve the exact opposite, to create a place where light comes through, where people feel good and can see nature," described his vision the 71-year-old architect.
    The building, with a budget of $488 million, was designed to be as eco-friendly as possible. Therefore, the interior spaces are located under a 2.5-hectare green roof with excellent insulating properties. The museum's facade is primarily glass, the structure consists of steel beams, and the building is equipped with 60,000 solar panels that provide up to ten percent of the total energy consumption.
    "This museum is an important endeavor for future generations too. The Earth is vulnerable and needs our help. We must learn more about nature, start to love it, and take good care of it," claims Piano.
    His designed "green nature stand" is certainly a unique specimen of its kind. Thanks to the undulating green roof, it is almost indistinguishable from a distance in the park, but inside it is full of technology and innovations that are meant to attract even those visitors who otherwise find museums boring. The exhibition showcases how real ecosystems function - scientists have placed a rainforest, a piece of swamp, and a coral reef under one roof. In addition, the museum also serves as a base for scientific research, where experts have access to around 20 million specimens of animals and plants.