Even before entering the World Soil Museum, the ombré shades of the building evoke freshly shoveled earth. Reddish-brown and tan hues create the appearance of layers of soil, called horizons. The exterior walls are coated with clay loam, a type of soil used to construct houses since ancient times. Inside, about 90 monoliths are affixed to the walls. These five-foot slabs of soil give visitors a deeper understanding of a vibrant subterranean world. Each monolith was extracted from a pit dug to the bedrock, then hardened with lacquer and preserved…
