Onion. This is a children’s museum in the heart of the city. Duly noted are the utilization of concrete and corrugated features to integrate an industrial look in an urban area. But somehow it doesn’t “fit” here at all. Ideally creating something for children should stimulate, but this meat-hanging-off-the-bones look does not. The best comparison I can make about this structure is to the materials a clothing designer works with. This is the equivalent to a crude, rough cut shirt made with remnants. Industrial design for a children’s museum may be tough to imagine but it can be done.

gotta disagree with the onion on children's museum. too many people like to judge a building like they judge people, by how they look on the outside. it's what goes on inside that counts and what's happening inside the children's museum is beautiful- like an orchid. -bill meyerhoff

Another nominator agreed with the Onion for Urban Design verdict. Here's their thoughts: "The exterior finish of the New Children's Museum building is completely incompatible with the buildings that surround it. The Museum exterior surfaces are unfinished unpainted concrete slab and unpainted metal that is ordinarily used as a foundation for concrete slab flooring. The residential condominium buildings that surround it all have finished surfaces that are painted, brick, granite. The Museum building detracts from what otherwise was an attractive residential condominium neighborhood prior to the completion of the Museum. Most concrete slab industrial complexes have more attractive exterior surfaces than does the New Children's Museum. The exterior surfaces of the New Children's Museum are a visually negative addition to the Marina Park District. The third photo illustrates the contrast between the New Children's Museum unfinished grey concrete block and tilt up concrete walls which directly face the granite finished walls of the entry way and lobby of the Pinnacle Museum Tower Condominiums located at 500 W. Front St. The fourth photo illustrates the contrast between the New Children's Museum unfinished walls and the renovated brick surfaces of the City Front Condominiums which face Union Street. The fifth photo illustrates the contact between the front of the New Children's Museum unfinished concrete walls which face Island Street and the finished surfaces of the Horizon Tower condominium which faces Front and Island Street."

This building won an Orchid for Sustainable Design in the 2007 awards. The jurors thought "The building is a great example of how sustainability can be incorporated into new construction with its dynamic use of daylighting, recycled materials and photovoltaic systems." What do you think? Orchid or Onion?