T.rex Discovery Centre

Eastend, Saskatchewan

Category: Art, Museums, Entertainment
Building size: 1490 m²
Client: Eastend Community Tourism Authority
Architect: McMillan Lehrer Ellard Croft

The T.rex Discovery Centre was built in Eastend, Saskatchewan in 1998. This unique building is buried into the north slope of the Frenchman River Valley and houses a paleontology research centre and museum. With the discovery of a tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the area in the early 1990’s, the development of the T.rex Centre became a high priority. The building is a concrete structure, with as much as 2.1 m of earth covering the roof of the building. The only exposed wall, the south wall, is a curved glass curtain wall that reflects the surrounding landscape. The T.rex Discovery Centre was recognized in the National Post Design Excellence Awards.