St. Louis Science Center

Introduction

The conception of the planetarium, science museum, and natural history museum began in the mid 1950s. The original Planetarium design for what would become the St. Louis Science Center was performed by Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum (HOK) in the early 1960s. The St. Louis Science Center has gone through remodeling and re-expression over the course of four decades following its ground breaking, renewing itself and expanding. As a case study, I have been most intrigued with the available exhibit spaces within the project, the ability of the spaces to grow and remain flexible, as well as the overall engagement strategy that the Science Center uses to incite interest and education simultaneously.

Strategy

There seems to be something fun and educational for all demographics offered within the collection of buildings and outdoor spaces making up an overall 300,000 sf facilities. While this could be (or at least should be) somewhat expected of an institution geared toward expanding a visitors knowledge base, I do believe executing this primary objective through play and comfort is an art-form worthy of respect; and it appears the St. Louis Science Center has been striving to master this form of execution.

Play

Some examples of this ‘play and comfort’ strategy are pointed out in the graphic to the right. Creating options for dining experiences throughout the project is one form of providing comfort, the placement throughout the site also allows for more freedom and spontaneity during a guests visit. The GROW campus is a recent indoor/outdoor addition to the Science Center that further detailed on the following page. Its provides fully immersive experiences and is designed with flexibility in mind for ever-changing exhibits and programming. The Energy Stage is of great interest to me for my project, I believe having a performance space and lecture space that allows for a multitude of demonstrations and guest interactions with educational information is an ideal spatial programming for providing users with a memorable experience.

Comfort

Onthesideofcomfort,asafemaleandfuturemother, I appreciate the thoughtfulness behind providing guests with a private nursing space. A facility that is geared toward all demographics is bound to attract families, which is something I would like my own project to aspire too. Taking into consideration the personal needs of all visitors and their situations while in a public space is something that I think young designers such as myself could exercise more awareness of. The Science Center also offers personal lockers,strollers,wheelchairs,andmotorizedscooters for its visitors. The storage and rental space of these accommodations are all something to be considered during the early stages of design for my project.

Finally, the other aspect of the St. Louis Science Center that I admired was the quantity and variety of spaces available to guests to reserve for private events and gatherings. Allowing guests or groups to utilize the established atmosphere within the Science Center to accommodate their gatherings is another way to extend a comfort to those within the community or visiting the community of St. Louis.

Dining options throughout the site GROW Campus

Stage