The idea behind RiverSphere formed in 1998 through a conversation between renowned biologist Dr. John A. McLachlan, director of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities, and writer John M. Barry, author of a bestseller about the 1927 Mississippi River flood.
Initially conceived as a museum devoted to the Mississippi, the concept grew more sophisticated to include science, history, culture, art, education and a number of other angles, all unified by the central organizing principle of the Mississippi and other world rivers, open to (and relevant to) people of all disciplines and backgrounds.
RiverSphere gained momentum as people came to appreciate the uniqueness of the vision and the need for such an interdisciplinary forum devoted to rivers. In 2003, the River Park Partnership generously donated 5.25 acres of riverfront land, worth $7.4M, to Tulane University for RiverSphere. The prime real estate was augmented the following year when Tulane purchased an adjacent 150,000 square feet for $1.3M.
Meanwhile, the acclaimed Canadian firm Bruce Mau Design was contracted to translate the vision into a conceptual design. Their work, carried out in close collaboration with RiverSphere founders and partners, yielded a bold design with numerous interlocking components...
Visitors will first enter a “Hall of Waters,” a main lobby filled with permanent and rotating exhibitions and community space. Surrounding and adjacent to the hall are myriad “Project Studios,” where scholars will conduct research in a number of disciplines in full view with visitors. Studios will be devoted to river and coastal studies, human and ecological health, food culture, GIS and mapping, river turbines for electrical production, polymer extrusion for constructing pilings out of recycled plastics, and other efforts. Artist studios will operate among the Project Studios, again in a fashion such that visitors, scientists, artists, students and others circulate and interact.
Among the studios will be the educational facilities of the New Orleans School of the River (for Tulane students, New Orleans elementary and secondary students, and the public) and the Riverweb Resource Center, home to a library and knowledge base, graphics design studio.
A 300-personal flat-floor auditorium will face the RiverStage, where live performances will be held. Outside and throughout RiverSphere will be a steamship terminal, docking and mooring facilities, landscaping, food and retail, a river model and model wetlands, and green space and biking paths tied in with the Trust for Public Lands’ vision for 1.25 miles of public riverfront space.
Finally, RiverSphere will include conference space and residencies for permanent and short-time use.
Indeed, RiverSphere is more than a museum.
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RiverSphere Conceptual Master Plan (13MB) |
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We are currently working with a New Orleans-based architectural, engineering, and design team led by Eskew + Dumez + Ripple to develop a site master plan along with phased programming, renovation, and construction options. This expert team includes Manning Architects (New Orleans) for wharf and port facility assessment, Bruce Mau Design (Toronto) for content programming, Hargreaves Associates (New York City) for landscape architecture, Matthias Schuler/Transolar (Stuttgart and New York City) for climate engineering and sustainability, and Baker Design Group (Boston) for distance learning and educational technology.
RiverSphere will be built in five phases, scheduled over the next 5-7 years. |
