Diamond Schmitt Architects, in collaboration with Associate Architect EXP, have unveiled the design for the New Brunswick Museum (NBM), a modern facility that will serve as the new home for Canada’s oldest continuing museum.
Situated in Saint John, N.B., the design harnesses the site’s topography to offer views of both the urban centre and the Harbour of Saint John, with views of the natural landscape and river to the west.
The new museum is set to integrate the historic east wing of the museum’s Collections and Research Centre on Douglas Ave., built in 1934, with five innovative new wings to the north, expanding the museum’s footprint to 12,450 m2 (134,000 sf). It will feature a modern, accessible main entrance on street level, leading visitors into a multi-storey public “great room” designed for community gatherings, events, and receptions. The second floor will host 2,787 m2 (30,000 sf) of exhibition space, including six permanent galleries and a temporary gallery area, with expansive bay windows offering panoramic views of the water and cityscape.
The design also takes cues from the site’s unique geography. The west facade is gently curved, mirroring the natural shoreline of the river. Meanwhile, the east facade pays tribute to historic Douglas Ave., echoing the area’s architectural heritage, seen in the 19th-century homes with widow’s walks built atop their towers. The east facade matches the proportions of the heritage building’s portico and wings. It will catch and reflect light, creating a striking contrast to the original limestone facade.
The design involved consultation with architects and citizens of New Brunswick along with engagement with Indigenous communities, ensuring meaningful connections with the province’s cultural and natural heritage. Notably, the museum plans to use mass timber—a renewable resource—to achieve low-carbon construction. Additionally, measures such as triple-glazed windows and electric boilers will contribute to the architect’s pursuit of a zero-carbon certification. Scheduled to be completed soon, the NBM aims to be a beacon of preservation, research, interpretation, and exhibition of the province’s diverse heritage. Donald Schmitt, principal at Diamond Schmitt, says, “This is a museum project for the past, present, and future of New Brunswick.”
