Big Bend Fossil Discovery Exhibit

The Big Bend Fossil Discovery Trail is a sequence of off-grid, open-air interpretive pavilions nestled within the site near Tornillo Creek at Big Bend National Park. Using a combination of fossil replicas, interpretive displays and geologic diagrams, visitors develop an understanding of the correlation between the dinosaur fossils discovered in the region and the geologic formations visible from the pavilion.

The design of the pavilion centers on the Gallery of Giants, which opens to the Sierra del Carmen mountains, while the butterfly roof recalls the winged Quetzalcoatlus that hangs from above. Because the exhibit is unstaffed, partitions are a key design factor that create an intuitive, self-guided visitor experience.

The building materials — including perforated corrugated metal in a color scheme blending with the surrounding terrain to avoid disrupting views from roadways and trails— were chosen to be durable and low-maintenance in the harsh West Texas climate. The structure is elevated with piers to minimize site disturbance to the site’s flora and fauna and sit quietly within the desert landscape. A solar array providing sufficient energy to the structure and a rainwater collection cistern minimize its environmental impact.