Snøhetta has designed the light filled, lofty and playful La Nube, the new STEAM discovery center, located in the heart of the city. Snøhetta partnered with El Paso architects Exigo and Gyroscope, the exhibition designers for the museum. The museum marks a new milestone for the city as La Nube is programmed to bring value to all youth in the region and also to complement the nearby children’s museum in the city of Juarez. The design reveals itself as a cloud, floating above the desert connecting all people in this important place, young and old alike.

The new 70,000 SF museum is positioned within the heart of El Paso’s Downtown Arts district, close to the vibrant San Jacinto plaza and less than one kilometer from El Paso del Norte, a major border-crossing station. To the north, the site is bounded by the Union Pacific Railroad, one of two major transcontinental freight lines in the western United States.

The building’s unique geometries immediately set it apart in the city’s skyline: the rectilinear base is wrapped in glass, providing interior views to entice passersby to stop inside the public lobby, and is topped by a rippling succession of barrel vaults which soar to a cloud-like crown.

The new museum aims to become a civic classroom and energy point for the region’s families, designed to maximize open-ended and imaginative play and exploration. Snøhetta’s design considers how the museum itself can become a learning tool. With spaces and exhibitions that inspire the imagination of both children and adults alike, the museum celebrates the unique culture and geography of El Paso while providing barrier-free access to educational opportunities.