Preview of the California Academy of Sciences
September 18, 2008
After the California Academy of Sciences closed for renovation in 2003, I visited the temporary facility at Howard Street to see what had become of the institution's animal residents. I was fortunate to connect with a curator who described to me the challenges of moving the penguins and the giant bass and the various exhibits. We discussed the new Academy structure which, at the time, seemed a distant realization.
It was with immense anticipation that I attended a special preview of the new Academy of Sciences this week, having followed the succession of structural enhancements, the reports hinting at the splendor of the new facility, and the updates on the African penguins' return to Golden Gate Park.
Spectacular is one possible description of the new structure -- although that single encapsulation seems to minimize the grand scheme that is the new California Academy of Sciences, with its commitment to the natural world and to global sustainability.
The building literally breathes with vitality, from the Living Roof and the live coral reef, to the automated ventilation and glass conduits for sunlight throughout the building.
The Renzo Piano design emphasizes light, fluidity and transparency. There is a thematic focus on the planet's origins and its future, as well as the mechanics of our own survival as a species. Everything about the Academy of Sciences speaks to a modern world view. It's an integrated and visual illustration of how intimately we are tied to the animals, plants and life forces of this earth, as much as their existence is tied to the choices we make in the realm of ecology, energy, and viability of all species.
So how does this vision manifest? In a 410,000-square-foot architectural treasure that incorporates a four-story rainforest, the world's largest indoor live coral reef, aquarium displays, a planetarium, and a series of interconnected exhibition spaces and interactive modules. I'm including a recap of some exhibition highlights below. To appreciate the experience in person, make a note of the Academy's opening weekend, free of charge on the first day -- Saturday, September 27.
See a Photo Gallery of the California Academy of Sciences
Altered State: Climate Change in California
With climate change among our most pressing global issues, Altered State brings the focus home by showing how climate change is affecting California in terms of human and animal health, the well-being of our ecosystem, our agricultural community, and our economy.
Dr. Carol Tang, director of Visitor Interpretive Programs, said that the key point of Altered State is to understand how much we have to lose in California, as a direct result of global climate change. A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the exhibit is a stark reminder of a previous mass extinction, and the rapid rate at which species are facing extinction in our own time.
Altered State is interactive in the sense that families can learn about individual efforts that help mitigate the effects of climate change -- and can make video pledges to alter their own lifestyles toward a healthier climatic outcome.Rainforests of the World
Dr. Chris Andrews, Director of Steinhart Aquarium, said of this rainforest habitat: "Nature threw a party and everyone came." This speaks, of course, to the valuable and increasingly endangered biodiversity sheltered in the canopy of our global forests.
The Academy of Sciences' own rainforest is a habitat in the making, much as any rainforest is a dynamic environment. The greenery will reach maturity in three to five years, providing a natural emulation of rainforest canopy as the trees grow toward the skylights in the Living Roof.
The forest is now inhabited by 40 birds -- species such as tanagers and grosbeaks -- and will likely include more as the rainforest evolves. Butterflies will also greet visitors throughout the layers of foliage. Below, an elevator descends into the Amazonian flooded forest, where an acrylic tunnel provides passage under an Amazonian river approximation, with fish swimming above and around.
The African Hall
The African Hall contains just two of the original walls, owing to seismic issues that required a complete renovation. But the ceiling design was recreated from original molds, and the hall's familiar dioramas, featuring scenes of the African landscape, help fuse the old and the new. Dr. Terry Gosliner, Senior Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, described it as a "fifty-year heritage brought together in a contemporary setting," focusing on our common human origins in Africa.
At the end of the hall, the African penguins frolick in their new home behind glass. As with all of the exhibits in the new Academy of Sciences, the penguin habitat helps highlight the critical importance of conservation in a global crisis of dwindling resources and increasingly endangered species. The number of African penguins throughout the world has dropped dramatically due to the stress of human intrusion and oil spill damage. These issues, along with effects relating to climate change, are addressed throughout the new facility.
The Swamp
The main attraction of the swamp is Claude, a 13-year-old albino American alligator and former Florida resident. He shares his digs with a non-albino female yet to be named. There will be a contest on opening weekend, to give Claude's lady companion a suitable moniker.
The Swamp is also home to five snapping turtles, and an array of native and non-native fish found in Florida waters. Assistant Curator of Steinhart Aquarium, Brenda Melton, informed us that Claude's diet includes, among other things, Alligator Chow. He's not in the habit of making meals of the resident fish.