California Academy of Sciences leverages the power of technology in its new LEED-platinum venue

A museum that lives and breathes… Wasn’t it just recently that the mere concept of museums was associated with static content and interactivity was defined as pressing a button to hear a sound bite? As the new generation of museums seeks to engage multiple generations of visitors, each of whom absorbs information at different levels and speeds, traditional storytelling is spun around by new technologies and visitors find themselves in a capsule of immersive learning and entertainment.

When the new California Academy of Sciences decided to redesign its science museum in San Francisco, there was a multitude of aspects to consider. The collections extended across several branches of science, and the designers decided to abandon the old linear approach in favor of intertwining the components to build on the concept of interdependence of earth, ocean and space. The actual structure of the museum also became part of the story: The building houses an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a four-story rainforest. In October 2008 it received a Platinum LEED Certification, a top environmental honor for a building, thanks to many sustainable elements, including a “living” roof.

Known for being on a first-namebasis with complex technology, Cinnabar, a Los Angeles-based producer and scenic fabricator serving the film and television industries as well as museums and themed attractions, was charged with the task of not just breathing new life into existing exhibits, but also introducing completely new elements.

“We were responsible for developing, designing and producing 35,000 square feet of exhibits for the Kimball Natural History Museum on the main floor of the Academy,” explained Cinnabar CEO and executive producer Jonathan Katz. Those areas include: Islands of Evolution (10,000 square feet of exhibits about the Galápagos Islands, the key principles of evolution and Madagascar); the media-driven Science in Action exhibits; the Altered State exhibits (10,000 square feet of exhibits about California and climate change); the recreated Tusher African Hall (filled with dioramas, specimens and interactive video adventures); the Early Explorers Cove (educational play for children and their families); the Naturalist Center (research facility); and reinstallation of the Foucault Pendulum. Working with Cinnabar staff and Cinnabar team members, Laser Exhibitor Service, based in northern California, participated in the installation. Here are some highlights.

Hands on

Cinnabar leveraged the power of engagement, especially in exhibits targeted toward the younger audience. They incorporated some of their favorite new technologies to make elements, such as a forest floor that has come alive in an interactive piece known as the Bug Rug.

The Insect Collecting game, one of several media pieces created by media producer Mindi Lipschultz for Cinnabar, is proving extremely popular at the new Academy.

“In the Madagascar exhibit, we used technology similar to Wii that allows people to try themselves out in the field and collect insects,” Katz said. “The visitor wields a handheld wand to simulate the act of collecting insects, which changes depending on the type of insect. At the end of the game they can see the results and go on to study each bug further in the other exhibits. It’s a great example of how to take a popular technology and adapt it in an engaging way that lets people get immersed in the experience.”

Projection-driven technology was also put to good use. Cinnabar brought in interactive design specialist Scott Snibbe to create media-based interactives in which people can use their bodies to interact with projected imagery on the wall or floor and make it change. The above-mentioned Bug Rug is one example. A second example is the Polar Bear exhibit, at which visitors face a scene of images of floating Arctic ice and have to cooperate with each other to block the sun’s rays, virtually bringing the pieces together to help a baby bear reunite with his mother.

“Your shadow is being cast on the wall behind you and it gets picked up with a scanner, which triggers the interactive loop,” Katz explained.

Other projection elements include the new dynamic backdrop for the largest of the African Hall dioramas, which now features elephants walking across the savanna.

“Even though these are simple digital tricks, it’s a way to take a classic exhibit and add contemporary touches,” Katz said. “It draws people into it and enhances the experience.”

Highlight and protect

The Academy is one of the largest public LEED Platinum-rated buildings in the world, and following the “green” code was also one of the key aspects for the designers and builders. So that was another place where technology got a chance to shine. Since the museum relies on natural light and natural ventilation, preserving specimens became a challenge.

“We needed to make cases with modular systems that not only controlled temperature and humidity, but also the amount of daylight that came in,” Katz said. He said the solution was to place low-energy, low-heat LED lighting fixtures inside the cases.

LED lighting also helped with managing natural daylight and its unpredictable effect on the graphics.

“We realized that in a hall with a lot of daylight we needed to have graphics and imagery stand out, and the way to do that was to backlight it,” Katz said. “In the last couple of years, we’ve been using LEDs experimentally in a lot of TV scenery that we do. Now we went back to manufacturers and requested specific density, and they worked with us to get the right stuff.”

Instead of building cases per se, Cinnabar designed and built custom exhibit modules that can be disassembled and reconfigured as the museum’s needs evolve. The structures are made of sustainable materials, designed to fit the museum’s overall style and be seismically stable. Cinnabar’s knowledge of materials commonly used for scenic fabrication led to choices that complement the rough-finish feel of the mostly concrete building. The environmental design company Volume Inc., another member of Cinnabar’s team, made valuable contributions to this part of the project. A unique feature of the modules is that they each contain their own infrastructure – power, climate control, lighting and AV – to run all the exhibit systems, protect the specimens and provide life support to the live a n i m a l s . Considering existing space limitations and the intricate nature of the work, the collaboration between the design and installation crews became crucial.

“The California Academy of Sciences was challenging and rewarding at the same time,” said Juan Carlos Lopez, the Laser lead on the project. “We had to handle some of the difficult, detail- oriented areas of the project that took a lot of precision and skill. It was great to make a contribution on a project that will be around for many years to come.”