6 New Inspiring & Sustainable Museums You Must See Now

Scores of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/eco-museums">incredible and inspiring new museums</a> opened over the course of the past year, and we were excited to see many of them showcase wonderful collections and exhibits alongside sustainable design and amazing architecture. From <a href="http://inhabitat.com/fantastical-new-salvador-dali-museum-in-florida-is-also-hurricaine-resistant/">art</a> and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/exclusive-photos-utah-opens-its-striking-new-natural-history-museum-in-salt-lake-city/">natural history</a> to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/3xns-new-museum-of-liverpool-runs-on-an-energy-efficient-trigeneration-plant/">cultural</a> and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/shiny-serpentine-jeongok-prehistory-museum-in-korea-now-complete/">prehistory</a>, these incredible and sustainable museums have something for everyone. Read on for six of our top picks!

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/shiny-serpentine-jeongok-prehistory-museum-in-korea-now-complete/">Jeongok Prehistory Museum in Korea</a></h3> This shiny serpentine museum in Korea is dedicated to the prehistory of the area and a sort of time capsule to explore early man. Designed by French firm, <a href="http://www.x-tu.com/01.html" target="_blank">X-TU Architects</a>, the Jeongok Prehistory Museum features a high performance double-walled facade to energy efficiently maintain a constant interior climate.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/exclusive-photos-utah-opens-its-striking-new-natural-history-museum-in-salt-lake-city/">Utah Natural History Museum</a></h3> Dedicated to the natural history, flora, fauna, minerals and dinosaurs found in the region, the <a href="http://nhmu.utah.edu/" target="_blank">Utah Natural History Museum</a> is an abstract interpretation of Utah's landscape. Located in Salt Lake City and designed by Todd Schliemann and New York City-based <a href="http://ennead.com/" target="_blank">Ennead Architects</a>, the museum is aiming for LEED Gold certification, features a green roof, solar system and a copper facade sourced only miles away.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/fantastical-new-salvador-dali-museum-in-florida-is-also-hurricaine-resistant/">Salvador Dalí Museum</a></h3> This fantastical museum is completely dedicated to the incredible works of <a href="http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/" target="_blank">Salvador Dalí</a>. Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/hok-leed-platinum-gingerbread-house/" target="_blank">HOK</a>-designed museum not only seeks to minimize energy use and its impact on the environment, but is also hurricane resistant. When the next big one rolls through, the museum will still be standing and protecting all of Dalí's important works.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/wang-shus-powerful-ningbo-history-museum-is-built-from-rubble/">Ningbo History Museum</a></h3> The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/wang-shus-powerful-ningbo-history-museum-is-built-from-rubble/">Ningbo History Museum</a> was designed by the 2012 Pritzker Prize winning architect, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2012-pritzker-prize-awarded-to-wang-shu-first-chinese-architect-to-win-the-award/">Wang Shu</a> and stands as his signature work. Built from rubble, using traditional techniques and local labor, the museum is like an inverted mountain and dedicated to the culture and art of the Ningbo region in china.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/steven-holls-cite-de-l%E2%80%99ocean-et-du-surf-museum-is-now-complete-in-biarritz/">Cité de l’Océan et du Surf</h3></a> Located near the ocean in Biarritz, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/steven-holls-cite-de-l%E2%80%99ocean-et-du-surf-museum-is-now-complete-in-biarritz/">Cité de l’Océan et du Surf </a>is dedicated to surf, the ocean and their roles upon our leisure, science, and ecology. Designed by <a href="http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?type=construction&amp;id=63&amp;page=0" target="_blank">Steven Holl</a>, the museum is meant to resemble the ocean, beach and the surf and features glass structures to fill the space with daylight.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/3xns-new-museum-of-liverpool-runs-on-an-energy-efficient-trigeneration-plant/" target="_blank">Museum of Liverpool</a></h3> Designed by Copenhagen-based <a href="http://inhabitat.com/denmarks-new-bella-sky-hotel-boasts-a-stunning-green-interior/" target="_blank">3XN</a>, the new museum is a bold structure located on the Mersey River in Liverpool. Inside the <a href="http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/" target="_blank">Museum of Liverpool</a> features exhibitions on the history of the port town and its influence on the world. Energy efficiency played a huge role in the building's design, which includes the use of a ‘trigeneration’ system to create heat, electricity and cooling in one integrated process as a way of reducing carbon emissions.