thoreau

Preview visitors look up through the 100,000 gallon tank of the Amazon Rainforest exhibit at the new San Francisco Academy of Sciences
The newly reimagined Academy of Sciences is opening this week in San Francisco. Simply astounding! I can't to go wander through the entire place. State of the art construction, green architecture and thanks to an astounding fundraising effort - - no expense spared. This place is world-class.

From the SF Chronicle:

The airy new home of the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park combines exploration, education and entertainment.

LIVING ROOF

The 2.5-acre green roof is planted with native California species to provide habitat for birds and butterflies while also serving as an exhibit on environmental sustainability and biodiversity. The multilayered surface protects the building from the elements while serving as a substrate for the native plants. The design is intended to enhance water and energy conservation while blending in with the park. A series of domes resembles adjacent hills and accommodates skylights, airflow and such interior structures as the planetarium and rain forest.

- Skylights above the larger domes open and close throughout the day, enabling sunlight to reach the exhibits below.

- The steep slopes of the rooftop's hills draw cool air into the open piazza at the center of the building.

- An observation terrace enables close-up views of the roof's canopy of plants.

CROSS-SECTION VIEW

The academy's new headquarters is a long, multi-story rectangle dominated by a pair of enormous globe-shaped structures on either side of a translucent central piazza.

GROUND LEVEL

The rebuilt academy features more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. From the main level, visitors can access the planetarium, piazza, rain forest and most of the public exhibits; Steinhart Aquarium is located one level down.

- African Hall from the original museum is restored as Tusher African Center, with 21 dioramas. Restorations

showcase gorillas, zebras, leopards and lions in natural habitats. A live colony of African penguins is at the far end of the hall.

- A special exhibit for infants, preschoolers and their caregivers includes nature-themed play spaces, costumes and games.

- The original seahorse-motif railings have been restored.

- Visitors can see academy scientists at work through the windows of this active research laboratory.

- Touch a piece of denim insulation, see conservation in action, and learn about one of the greenest buildings on Earth.

- Altered State: Climate Change in California; Fossils and other specimens help illustrate climate change in California and around the world.

RAIN FORESTS OF THE WORLD

A 90-foot-diameter dome encases a living rain forest complete with free-flying birds and butterflies. Temperatures will be maintained at 82 to 85 degrees, and humidity at 75 percent or above using a special misting system. Stacked in one half of the dome, separate galleries focus on the native wildlife of Borneo, Madagascar and Costa Rica rain forests. A spiraling pathway leads visitors up to the top, from where they take the elevator down to the flooded Amazon exhibit beneath the dome.

- Under the domed skylights, this bright humid space is filled with more than 40 species of birds and butterflies.

- In the Borneo gallery, a large cave houses bats, bat-eating snakes and scorpions (in separate nooks).

- The ramp spiraling through the dome required such precise engineering that a roller-coaster manufacturer was hired to shape the steel.

- A 25-foot-long acrylic tunnel enables visitors to see up through the 100,000-gallon Amazonian tank to the rain forest above.

MORRISON PLANETARIUM

A state-of-the-art digital projection system immerses visitors in a wraparound visual experience. Guided shows gives visitors the sensation of flying through space.

STEINHART AQUARIUM

Located below ground level, the aquarium features more than 100 tanks filled with fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Large windows provide underwater views into the Swamp, the Philippine Coral Reef and California Coast tank.

1. The Swamp: Features a rare white alligator, snapping turtles, snakes, frogs and salamanders.

2 Philippine Coral Reef: Inhabited by sharks, rays and sea turtles, this tank features the world's deepest living coral display.

3. Water Planet: Four exhibit islands showcase habitats with seahorses, snakes, turtles, frogs and fish. Wall-mounted multimedia displays feature images of whales, sharks and larger marine mammals.

BY THE NUMBERS

1853: Year the California Academy of Sciences was founded

1916: Year the academy moved into Golden Gate Park

1923: Year the Steinhart Aquarium opened

410,000: Total square footage of the new academy

212,000: Size, in gallons, of new coral reef tank

2.5: Acres of green space on the living roof

More than 20 million: Number of natural history specimens in the academy's collection