The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) has officially unveiled its new 163,000sq ft (15,143sq m) home at the Rio Tinto Center in Salt Lake City, US, today (18 November).

Ennead Architects, GSBS Architects and Design Workshop worked on the design of the Rio Tinto Center, which has been built by Big-D Construction over the last three years.

The facility boasts around 51,000sq ft (4,738sq m) of permanent exhibition space, with Ralph Appelbaum Associates working with NHMU staff and other experts to design the displays.

A series of 10 thematic exhibition galleries have been created, with the Embedded in the Life; Past Worlds; and First Peoples galleries including three learning labs.

Other galleries include the Utah Sky and View Terrace, while the new interactive Trailhead to Utah programme is designed to help personalise the visitor experience at the attraction.

The attraction, which is located at the University of Utah, is an active research institution and currently includes more than 1.2 million objects in its collection.

NHMU executive director Sarah George said: "The new facility will match the depth and richness of our state's natural history.

"Not only will we showcase extraordinary artefacts unavailable in other places around the world, but we will provide visitors with interactive and stimulating experiences as they explore the world around them."

Details: nhmu.utah.edu