Trifter

Arising from the proverbial ashes of its former shell, the newly rebuilt and redesigned California Academy of Sciences is a culmination of years of planning mixed with the most sustainable architecture to date.

Awarded platinum level LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Academy also holds the designation of the largest building in the world to receive this level of certification and the world’s greenest museum.

As much as the museum’s redesign reflects society’s current views on the environment and sustainability, it was in fact the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake which set actions in motion, no pun intended.  The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Northern California severely damaged the Academy’s buildings and forcing closure of an entire hall.  Seismic damage was of special concern in the Steinhart Aquarium where hundreds of live aquatic species existed in dozens of glass and water enclosures. 

The Academy opened its doors in 1874, in what is now Chinatown, in downtown San Francisco.  As its popularity and discoveries grew the need for space became dire and in 1891 they moved to a new location.  Unfortunately their time there ended sooner than expected.  The great quake of 1906 not only made their new location uninhabitable but the damage from the quake and fires managed to destroy a multitude of specimens on display as well as in the Academy library.  It would be another decade before the Academy would reopen its doors in the famed Golden Gate Park, and remain there for the next 89 years.

Situated amongst good company, the newly designed Academy rests across the Music Concourse from the equally renowned M.H. de Young Museum and around the corner from the popular Japanese Tea Garden.  Much like its prior construct; the Academy rises three stories into the air, but now sports a 2.5 acre living roof, among other green design elements.

As a child and young adult, the California Academy of Sciences was a place of wonder and education.  With each visit I found something new about the place that I had not noticed on prior trips.  There were always new animals being brought in to view and rotating exhibits specific to what was going on in the world at the time.  However, there were also some tried and true displays that never changed and were always a welcome site.  No matter how many times you have been to the Academy you cannot help but go pay a visit to the alligator enclosure.  They rarely move, and the turtles occupying the shared area always seem to be piled up on the same log or rock, but it is still a must-see component.

A trip was also never complete without waiting patiently along the rail of the Foucault pendulum.  Crowds would descend on the hanging weight as it swayed inches and inches closer to its goal, a small cylindrical pin.  Ooos and Ahhhs would stumble across lips in heated anticipation for the clinking sound of the fallen pin, each swing nearing closer and closer to contact.  When finally it did connect what followed was cheering and clapping and then observers making their way about the rest of their visit; feeling accomplished at being there for the pendulum’s crowning moment.  A display of great importance and history, the Foucault pendulum has been integrated into the design and layout of the new Academy.

Of course, one cannot have a state of the art facility without doing away with some of the old to bring in the new.  Sitting in one of the two spheres anchoring the East and West wings of the Academy is the new and improved planetarium.  Completely digital, the new system is state of the art and situated in an IMAX configuration with innovative shows and images to entice a 21st century astronomer and the amateur alike, garnering it the title of largest digital planetarium in the world.  In the new Academy it is integrated into the surroundings and sits as a giant orb over several portions of the aquarium including one of the world’s largest coral reef exhibits.

I for one, while always eager to see every square inch of the museum, could push all exhibits to the side save the Morrison Planetarium.  With its gentle domed ceiling and San Francisco skyline silhouette encircling the room, the planetarium was a place of other worldly wonder.  Cradling you at a gentle angle the chairs gave you the feeling of lying back on a cushioned hillock watching the stars come into view in the night sky.  All the while an amazing piece of technology sat center stage as if a futuristic creation projecting images of the universe and outer space phenomena.  The original planetarium has been removed for newer technology and the skyline is a memory but the same awe and allure remain.

Located on the subterranean level, rising up to the mezzanine, is one of the Academy’s pride and joy.  Set amongst displays, both aquatic and amphibious, is a two story Philippine coral reef.  At 25 feet deep and containing over 200,000 gallons of water this exhibit is one of the most diverse reef systems in the world.  The tank boasts thousands of tropical fish, soft and hard corals and native mangroves.  But what sets this aquarium apart from all others is the water, piped directly from the Pacific Ocean itself.  Sporting additional elements of cutting edge technology, projected along the walls of the main hub of the aquarium, are images of the sea and informational videos on the delicate nature of the Earth’s oceans and the life they hold.

Another profound exhibit of the newly designed California Academy of Science is the four story sphere housing displays as well as plant and animal life of the Amazon Rain Forest.  Sporting dozens of avian and lepidoptera species the curving pathway of the Academy’s second sphere takes you from forest floor to the top of the canopy.  While also providing you views of the Amazon River below, an underwater tunnel incorporates the rain forest and the aquarium exhibits.

Not wanting to ruin all of the surprise let’s get down to the green components of this museum and the facts that help it stand out from other facilities of its kind. 

For starters, though new and cutting edge, this reconstruction is a lot of what you’ve seen before.  That is because the designers and construction teams integrated into the development over 90% of the original museum’s building materials.  As mentioned earlier, the museum sports over two acres of living roof, landscaped on one of the most challenging sets of hills and grades to date for a design of its kind.  Home to almost 2 million plants native to California, the roof was designed with seven mounds intended to mimic the seven hills of San Francisco.  Surrounding this horticulture wonder and encircling the entire building, on the roof level, is an eave holding over 60,000 photovoltaic cells providing 5% of the Academy’s power.

A lot more went into the verdant bones of this ecological marvel.  Nestled in the middle of a city known for its cold summers and cooler winters you would think that heating would be an issue, as would cooling if you factor that over one million guests visited within the first five months of reopening.  Coastal air and body heat aside the Academy keeps temperate thanks to water heated radiant floors and automated louvers that allow fresh air to cycle through the spaces.  These components in conjunction with the natural denim fiber insulation make for a chemical free, HVAC free and eco-friendly atmosphere.

No stone was left unturned.  No new concept not considered.  The Academy was not the first of Architect Renzo Piano’s achievements, or the last, but it is one in an impressive portfolio of work created by this award winning Italian designer.  As of late a large number of Piano’s designs embody architecture as air and light.  The Academy is no exception with its sky lit piazza and floor to ceiling walls of glass.  From almost anywhere in the museum you can look out the clear walls to the surrounding park environment.  It is in this natural lit café that we see another green component taking foothold.  In the piazza you can sit and watch the passerby patrons, look into the other exhibits surrounding and should the mood strike you, enjoy a bite to eat.  Once finished with your dining experience you are expected to dispose of your refuse, but not before deciding if it should go in the bin marked recycling, compost or landfill.  Just another friendly reminder about what your waste becomes.  And should a piece of fruit or sandwich not fill your need you can always make your way down to a crowning jewel of the culinary world, the Moss Room.

Sustainably designed and boasting a two story living wall, large pond and some of the Academy’s own Asian river fish is the Moss Room.  A melding of two culinary greats, Charles Phan of Slanted Door acclaim and Loretta Keller of COCO500 notoriety, their new restaurant is homage to things fresh, natural and sustainable.  The ingredients are carefully chosen for their organic composition, growing and harvesting practices as well as local proximity.  I had the pleasure of dining there for my birthday a few months after it opened.  We started the meal out as every good meal should begin, with a disgusting amount of fresh pacific oysters.  We then followed that with everything under the sun… shredded Brussels sprouts with lemon and pine nuts, chickpea and squid salad, Spanish mackerel in a tomato mint coulis, wild mushroom risotto and to top it off an impressive and sustainably grown and harvested Cabernet.  It was a delightful treat and a remarkable environment to be enjoying it in.  I suggest that when making your sojourn to the Academy that you incorporate at least one Moss Room meal into your itinerary.

There is much more I could divulge but really, you have to see this space for yourself.  Plan to spend a whole day, a weekend if you can spare it.  The California Academy of Science is a San Francisco institution and a marvel to the eyes, the spirit, the environment and the curious child in all of us.