Project Description
Conceptually, the Museum of Trees originated as an interest in the scale of the seed as it relates to the container in which it is stored. The seed vault is composed of small individual drawers organized radially, and becomes a container ¬– or “museum” – of trees at the landscape level. To bridge these two scales, a large seed vault surrounds the Elm tree, the largest and most symbolic species in New Haven [Image 3]. Other programs, including the laboratory, classrooms, and display areas, are similarly sunken underground [Image 4]. The top surfaces of the seed vault and these programs serve as pathways for visitors.