Walter Roberts and I.M. Pei sit outside the Mesa Lab in conversation.

Design and Construction of the NCAR Mesa Lab

Perched high atop a mesa over looking Boulder sits the Mesa Laboratory, Ieoh Ming Pei’s headquarters of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). This is the story of the Mesa Laboratory, its design, construction, and importance to the study of the atmosphere and our Earth. This online exhibit traces the beginning of NCAR and its iconic Mesa Laboratory through original photographs, documents, films, and oral history interviews.

Browse the Collection

Timeline of Mesa Laboratory Development

Timeline of Mesa Laboratory Development

Selecting Boulder as the Site for NCAR's Headquarters

Selecting Boulder as the Site for NCAR's Headquarters

Preserving the Natural Landscape

Preserving the Natural Landscape

Dedication

The building was dedicated in May 1967 with a formally ceremony to mark the event. 

Digging Deeper

More information about the history of the National Center for Atmospheric Research