collections and research building project

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Collections & Research Building

• Updated 15/11/18
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Construction of the collections & research building began in late 2006. the building opened in november 2008..

The $32-million addition is the first major building to be constructed at the Museum in 20 years. It integrates a mosaic of spaces built at different times over the last 150 years and represents a very concrete commitment by the NSW Government to the leading-edge research being conducted at Australia's first museum.

The collections, laboratories and staff can be visited by industry colleagues, visiting academics and community groups by appointment.

High-tech science facilities

Laboratories have been fitted out with modern facilities and research equipment allowing teams to work together on important taxonomic and ecological research projects. The DNA facility is equipped with separate laboratories for DNA extraction and sequencing, and a freezer room for holding tissues samples. The DNA extraction process is automated using sophisticated machinery and multiple samples are processed rapidly with the aid of two robotic liquid handlers.

The design of the new building vastly improves working conditions for scientists who previously worked in heritage environments that were unsuitable for contemporary scientific study.

World-class collections facilities

The building's 5000 square metres of space provides world-class collection facilities. Temperature and humidity controlled environments ensure the long-term preservation of the Museum's important collections. To minimise transport-related damage to specimens the building's work spaces are sited in proximity to the storage areas.

Environmental design

The architects Johnson Pilton Walker, led by design team Richard Johnson and Graeme Dix, used environmentally sustainable principles throughout the new building. The layout maximises the use of natural lighting and a double-skin façade helps insulate the building against the extremes of temperature and humidity.

The western (solid) side and inner areas of the building house the collection areas. Away from external walls and windows, it is easier to control the narrow conditions of temperature and humidity here needed for safe housing of specimens.

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles  Chicka  Madden

• Archives and Special Collections Facility Approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Today, the Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois approved the first phase of the University Library’s building project. 

Phase One of the building project will transform the current Undergraduate Library building into a facility that will house the University Archives, the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, and The Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Between campus support, fundraising, and internal allocations, the entirety of the $50M in funding has been secured for construction. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2024.

“A new archives and special collections building gives us a solid footing for our most extraordinary treasures and positions us to build the next generation of services for our students,” said University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen. 

“This is an important and exciting step in our university’s ability to support scholars and students,” said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones. “Moving forward with this facility really allows us to do what is necessary to ensure irreplaceable rare and archival materials will be available and accessible for scholarship and research for generations to come.” 

“We’re excited about our ability to better meet the needs of the University by the creation of this beautiful facility supporting the use and care of our rare and archival materials.  I appreciate all of the campus feedback we’ve received through town halls and public forums, which have helped us shape this strategy,” said John P. Wilkin, the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian. “I also want to thank the many donors and the university for their support.” 

The Undergraduate Library will remain open through the end of the Spring 2022 semester. Services for undergraduate students will be integrated into the Main Library, Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, Funk ACES Library, and other units around campus by the start of classes in Fall 2022. 

The design of the new archives and special collections building is being jointly led by Champaign-based RATIO Architects and Boston-based Shepley Bulfinch. 

Future stages of the project will culminate in the redevelopment of the 100-year old Main Library Building as a rich hub of research and learning for the University’s community of humanities and social sciences scholars.

News Archive

• Project Moving Toward Construction Bidding
• Undergraduate Library Receives New Name
• Unique Opportunity for Firefighter Training
• Firm Hired to Further Assess Undergraduate Library Building
• Archives and Special Collections Building and Undergraduate Services Town Hall Held
• Internal Demolition Begins on the Undergraduate Library Building
• University Library Announces Architectural/Engineering Firms
• Proposed Project Schedule
• Kick-Off Meeting and Initial Activities for July and Early August 2021
• Alumni Couple Invests in Library's Future
• Project Meetings Through September 2021
• Building Project Reaches Milestones

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Please be advised the museum will remain open during outdoor construction. Learn more here .

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Learn more about government’s intention to modernize the museum to protect our historic holdings and provide better access to our collections.

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The Repatriation Handbook

This handbook, the first created by and for Indigenous peoples, provides practical information to help communities with the repatriation process

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Visit the Research Portal to learn how the Royal BC Museum's natural history, human history and  archival collections  inspire and inform our research

The Archives

Learn how the BC Archives provides access to records of enduring value to the province for public researchers, scholars and genealogists.

Discover the Natural History of British Columbia

Royal BC Museum collections and research building moving forward with procurement

The B.C. government is building a new collections and research building in Colwood and has selected three bidding teams to participate in the next step of the selection process for design and construction.

The proposed facility will house the Royal BC Museum’s collections and research department, and the BC Archives. It will provide dedicated research labs and learning spaces, and improve access for British Columbians to the museum’s vast collections.

This state-of-the-art facility is anticipated to create about 950 good-paying jobs and help support B.C.’s economic recovery.

The three teams invited to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) are:

Kinetic Construction Ltd. Smith Bros. & Wilson (B.C.) Ltd. and Wright Holdings Inc.

• Diamond and Schmitt Architects, Inc.
• Aspect Structural Engineers Canada Ltd.

Ledcor Design-Build (B.C.) Inc. and Knappett Projects Inc.

• John McAslan and Partners
• Fast + Epp Structural Engineers Inc.

Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd .

• Michael Green Architecture Inc.
• Equilibrium Consulting Inc.

The RFP is the second stage of the procurement process to select a design-build team. Only proponents who were shortlisted during the first stage, the request for qualifications (RFQ) process, are invited to participate in the RFP process.

Partial compensation in the amount of $1 million will be paid to each unsuccessful proponent in accordance with the terms of the RFP and is intended to partially cover the cost to participate in the RFP process. This is standard business practice for major infrastructure design-build procurements, led by Infrastructure BC, to ensure robust competition and high-quality, responsive submissions.

Government expects to break ground in summer 2022 and complete the project in 2025. 

The collections and research building is funded by the Province. The Transportation Investment Corporation will manage all aspects of the design and construction on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and the Royal BC Museum.

Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Media Relations 250-208-4309

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Lipetsk Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Lipetsk oblast: Lipetsk .

Lipetsk Oblast - Overview

Lipetsk Oblast is a federal subject located in the central part of European Russia, about 370 km south of Moscow, part of the Central Federal District. Lipetsk is the capital city of the region.

The population of Lipetsk Oblast is 1,114,000 (2022), the area - 24,047 sq. km.

Lipetsk oblast flag

Lipetsk oblast coat of arms.

Lipetsk oblast map, Russia

Lipetsk oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

28 April, 2022 / Summer in the Lipetsk Nature Reserve .

12 August, 2021 / Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in Balovnevo .

25 June, 2021 / Kudykina Gora - the most popular sight of Lipetsk Oblast .

5 July, 2020 / Pseudo-Gothic Orthodox Church in Veshalovka .

14 May, 2019 / Yelets - the view from above .

More posts..

History of Lipetsk Oblast

According to archaeological and historical data, the territory of today’s Lipetsk Oblast was inhabited since ancient times. Before the Mongol invasion, there were the towns of Yelets, Dobrinsk (the village of Dobroye now), Dubok (Dubki). During the Mongol yoke, a lot of fortified towns were destroyed, the region depopulated.

In the initial period of feudal fragmentation, this land belonged to the Chernigov principality. After the death of Prince Igor Svyatoslavich (1202), Yelets, Lipetsk and Vorgol principalities appeared. Taking advantage of the weakness of the Chernigov principality, Ryazan princes seized all the lands of the upper Don and Voronezh rivers and annexed them to their possessions.

The revival of the region began following the expulsion of the nomads. In a relatively short period of time (the end of the 16th - the early 17th centuries) the fortress-towns of Dankov, Talitsky ostrog, Yelets, Lebedyan were rebuilt. In 1635, construction of the Belgorod fortified line began.

More Historical Facts…

In connection with the reforms of Peter the Great, industry and agriculture began to develop in the region. Since the end of the 17th century, construction of large factories began here: the steel works on the Beliy Kolodez River (1693), the Lipsky Iron Works (1700), the Kuzminsky Anchor Plant with a workshop for assembling weapons (1703). Settlements of workers were constructed near the plants. Lipetsk was initially one of these settlements.

Because of the formation of the Russian regular army and navy, the demand for flax, hemp and wool increased. Therefore, agriculture began to develop actively too. In the 18th century, large farming estates continued to grow. This province rich in black soil was the breadbasket of Russia. Lipetsk became widely known as a mineral waters resort.

In the early 20th century, Yelets was the largest town in the region. Lipetsk, thanks to its curative mineral water and mud, was a popular resort town. Rapid industrial development of Lipetsk and other towns in the area began during the first Soviet five-year plans. However, it was interrupted by the Second World War. During the war, 246,000 inhabitants of the region were drafted into the Soviet army, 128,500 of them were killed or gone missing.

In the postwar years, the restoration of the destroyed industry and agriculture began. The decision on the establishment of a powerful metallurgical industry in the center of Russia played an important role in it. Novolipetsk Steel was built by the entire USSR. Lipetsk, originally a small provincial town, turned into a large city. January 6, 1954, a separate Lipetsk oblast was formed from adjacent districts of Ryazan, Voronezh, Kursk, and Orel regions.

Nature of Lipetsk Oblast

Lipetsk Oblast scenery

Author: Constantin Silkin

Lipetsk Oblast landscape

Author: Aleksandr Dezhin

The road through the field in Lipetsk Oblast

Author: Anton Savin

Lipetsk Oblast - Features

The length of the Lipetsk region from north to south is 200 km, from west to east - 150 km. The main rivers are the Don and Voronezh. The largest cities and towns are Lipetsk (496,500), Yelets (99,200) and Gryazy (46,000).

The climate is temperate continental with moderately cold winters and warm summers. The average temperature in January is minus 11 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 20 degrees Celsius.

There are about 300 deposits of various minerals on the territory of the Lipetsk region: limestone, dolomite, sand, clay, cement raw materials. The region takes the first place in Russia by stocks of carbonate material. Also there are significant deposits of peat.

Metallurgy, food industry and machine building are the main industries of the local economy. Lipetsk Oblast produces about 20% of Russian pig iron and finished rolled steel, 18% - steel, 28% - washing machines, 26% - refrigerators and freezers, 70% - children’s fruit and vegetable preserves and juices, 13% - sugar, 12% - starch, 7% - mineral water.

Favorable climatic conditions and fertile black soil (more than 85% of the territory) contribute to the development of agriculture. The area of cultivated land is more than 1.8 million hectares. There are about 22 thousand hectares of fruit orchards (mainly apples, pears and plums). The region produces different crops, sugar beet, potatoes, cattle, pigs, and poultry.

Attractions of Lipetsk Oblast

The world’s first hyperboloid construction (1896), a steel openwork lattice tower built by the engineer and scientist Vladimir Shukhov, is located in the village of Polibino in Dankovsky district of Lipetsk Oblast. In Polibino you can also see a classical palace built in the Empire style in the 18th century and an extensive park.

The city of Yelets has numerous monuments of church and secular architecture, including the Cathedral of the Ascension (1889).

In Zadonsk, there are important monuments of church architecture and history, including three active monastery.

Meschersky Arboretum in Stanovlyansky district.

Borki Manor (Borki Castle) in the village of Borki in Terbunsky district - the only monument of architecture in the region built in the English Gothic style, an architectural monument of the last quarter of the 19th century.

The Memorial Museum of P.P. Semenov-Tyanshansky in Ryazanka Estate in Chaplyginsky district.

There are two reserves in the region: “Galichya Mountain”, the smallest nature reserve in Russia with preserved pre-glacial flora, and part of the Voronezh Reserve.

Lipetsk oblast of Russia photos

Pictures of lipetsk oblast.

Country road in the Lipetsk region

Author: Skuratov S.S.

Author: Vladimir Orlov

Orthodox church in Lipetsk Oblast

Author: Frantsuzov Sergey

Cathedral in Lipetsk Oblast

Author: Fomenko Aleksey

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Unveiling the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus: Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections.

A Hub of Knowledge and Culture

The Royal BC Museum is excited to announce the name of its new facility: Royal BC Museum PARC Campus (Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections). The name came together through consultation with staff at the museum to reflect the multifaceted work the teams will undertake at this state-of-the-art facility.

The Royal BC Museum PARC Campus is located on lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Territory, in an area known today as Royal Bay in Colwood B.C. The project has been developed in close partnership with the Territory’s host Nations –Songhees and Esquimalt Nations,  ensuring a harmonious relationship throughout the project.

Once complete, the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus will serve as a secure repository for the province’s vast collections and BC Archives. Beyond its role as a storage facility, it will emerge as a dynamic learning space enhancing accessibility to the rich cultural heritage for the people of British Columbia.

 What distinguishes this facility is its innovative design, encouraging visitors to engage with displays and artifacts. Meticulously balancing function and aesthetics, the $270 million-dollar project integrates feature windows into research labs. This approach allows the public a firsthand look at the dedicated staff’s important work in preservation and study.

Moreover, the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus will host multiple learning spaces strategically integrated into its architecture. These inclusive spaces will serve as hubs for educational activities, workshops, and events, providing an immersive experience for visitors of all ages and abilities.

The museum looks forward to welcoming visitors into a space that not only preserves the province’s past but actively engages with the present, fostering a connection between the people of British Columbia and their diverse culture through research and increased access to the collections and archives.