Museum Of Science Renovations | 1 Science Park | West End

whighlander

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I recall there being a major addition to the Museum of Science about a decade ago.
Scurrilous Comments about the lack of updating to the Museum of Science:
So much is and has been underway at the MOS that it deserves a thread of its own

But first a bit of history:
MOS began at the Science Park site nearly 60 years ago after selling the old building on Boylston / Newbury that it had occupied since the 1860's ? MIT and MOS formed a pair now the remnant is Louis? with the other site part of the great monolith between Arlington and Berkley, formerly known as the New England Mutual Life

The original Science Park complex consisted just of the Charles Hayden Planetarium and a two story extension along the riverfront housing the first interactive, hands-on exhibit {possibly in any science museum anywhere} of a functioning set of equipment found on a ships' bridge including a marine radar

Then in the 1960's came the iconic 6 story tower {Countway Building} with the Skyline Room and Foucault Pendulum

In the 1970's the massive 3 story West Wing and the Elihu Thompson Theatre of Electrical Science, complete with the world's largest working Van de Graff Generator {built by Prof Van de Graff himself at MIT} capable or 10 plus foot artificial lightning bolts and the huge 5 story parking garage

in the 1980's the Museum added: the curved screen Mugar Imax / Omnimax Theatre; a food court; new gift shop; new atrium near the Omni/Planetarium; revamped Planetarium; Nichols Gallery for temporary exhibits; Gilland Observatory atop the parking garage

In the 90's only incremental changes to the inside: revamped food court {now managed by Wolfgang Puck}; redesigned and expanded museum shop; addition of the suspended glass stage for the Current Science and Technology Center {now the Gordon Current Science and Technology Center ? more later on this}; new T-Rex exhibit and installation of the old one in a Godzilla-esque posture of busting through the external wall

In the early 200's the MOS hired the Denver firm of Fentress Bradbury {Marine Corps Museum, Museum of the Rockies} to do a master plan -- ultimate cost in the $350M range

So far the funds are coming in at the expected pace and the largest single grant that has been announced to-date is $20M from Bernard Gordon {founder of Analogic -- builders of the checked luggage scanners at most airports and many medical CATscanners} -- Gordon's money has manifested itself both inside the MOS existing building {revamped Current Science and Tech Center {complete with 72 inch plasma panel}, Gordon Engineering Demo Center} and sort-of outside -- a 30,000 sq ft building constructed in the ground floor of the parking garage {high ceiling permitted 2 floors} -- very very "green" construction -- lots of natural light from massive windows overlooking the Charles -- this new "wing" will house the National Center for Technological Literacy {funded by both NSF $6M and Gordon and others}

Still to come are huge changes to both the McGrath/Obrien facade and the Charles River facade including a totally new glass dome replacing the existing brick Planetarium structure

I will get a link to some renderings {and there is even a model within the MOS} -- this project will be on-going for the next 5 years -- but when completed the MOS will be nearly unrecognizable ? hint look at Fentress and Bradbury?s other work ? they like glass and grid-ed structurals almost as much as the MFA?s Foster does

Westy
 
Re: Aquarium - New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center

That's really exciting to read. The MOS should be one of Boston's premier institutions, but the various expansions listed notwithstanding, a lot of it looks and feels as it did back in the 70's when I first visited as a student. When I take my nieces and nephews there it feels like I'm taking them not to a science museum, but to a science museum museum: a museum that shows what science museums looked like 30-40 years ago. Looking forward to the seeing the renderings, and I'll have to make a trip there to see the model. It must not have been on display yet last time I went.
 
Re: Aquarium - New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center

The new MOS model is hidden in a room on the top floor of the west {Blue Wing} near to the Butterfly Place {forgot to mention that one as it is quite new}. The room that the model is located in is not publicly accessible {at least officially} -- however, it is not a locked room and it is quite functionally accessible. The room has many renderings on the walls of all sorts of views

But as to your Museum of Museum comments -- I hope that you are either able to spend more than cursory time with your nieces and nephews or else that you are willing to devote the attention to the MOS exhibits that you do to architecture

In the past decade or so the MOS has received several mega $ grants from the NSF to pioneer a series of spaces devoted to the process of doing science:

1) The first of these "Seeing the Unseen" that was in the Green Wing on the Second Floor {soon to be occupied by the very state-of-the-art "Hall of Human Life Science" -- supported by Novartis and the rest of the mega Pharma companies -- "Take a Closer Look -- formerly ?Seeing the Unseen?} is now being reinstalled in the basement of the Blue Wing in the space formerly occupied by the Big Dig ? Take a closer look features one of at most 5 publicly accessible an most often working Scanning Electron Microscopes ? that enable one to view the near nano-scale landscape of common micro objects such as pollen grains.

2) The second -- "Investigate" featuring the opportunity to recreate Galileo's famous dropping of stuff with prearranged or ad hoc stuff is in the top floor of the Blue Wing. Adjacent to it are the quite new Science in the Park featuring interactive science behind some real out-door playground kid pleasers such as swings, seesaws. Also adjacent at the top of the Blue Wing is the ?Lighthouse? all about light and how it is manipulated for the benefit of society

3)The Third "Making Models" featuring a side exhibit of the largest 3D map of MT Everest is on the middle floor of the Blue Wing Next to it is the redeveloped ?Virtual Fish tank? from the merger with the old Computer Museum

4)The 4th the true ?museum of museums " is ?Natural Mysteries" all about stuff that was collected back in the Boylston St days and the process of collecting and classifying stuff is on the basement of the Green Wing next to the new {2 years} old Bird's World and Live Animal and other Science demo stage

Also new in the Blue Wing around the corner from Butterflies is The 3D Digital Cinema currently showing real 3D images of the sun obtained last summer from 2 space craft in solar orbit jus before and behind the earth -- a truly unique perspective on the Sun. In the Basement of the Blue Wing -- This summer a new Weatherwise exhibit opened with a participatory multimedia storm and walk through frontal passage complete with hot and cold blowing air.

Just slightly older is the Communications Caf? exhibit hidden under the seats for the Theratre of Electricity and on the Top floor of the Theatre of Electricity the mid 90's {although relatively frequently updated} Computing Revolution {a major remnant of the merger of the Computer Museum}. Behind the walls of the 2nd floor of the parking Garage is the Cahners Computer Place and Computer Clubhouse. Inside the 2nd Floor of the Theatre of Electricity is ?Best Computer Games? and other hands on computer and robotics {sort of a remnant of the Computer Museum with a new perspective and new equipment}

You see - -there is a lot here that you have not yet experienced at the MOS -- although of course many of the old favorites such as the push-button display cases with ?Simple Machines,? the ?Ships Models,? the Steam Engine {semi-working} and such are still there as well.

I?d heartily suggest that you spend some good fraction of a leisurely day {perhaps during some of the dark time in January or February} exploring the MOS


Westy
 
Re: Aquarium - New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center

Westy, thanks for the info on the various exhibits. I need to go without young children, as I've been doing the past few years. They have their favorite exhibits which they want to see over and over, so a lot of this has escaped my notice.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Here are a couple images from the links posted above by PaulC:

Overall (I dont know how current this is):
MOSoverall.gif


Gordon Wing:
MOS_Gordon_Wing.jpg
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Great find. This will truly be exciting to see built. I really like the glass planetarium. Anyone know the time line?
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

I've been in the new Gordon Wing offices, and the rendering makes them look much more cramped than they are. The floor to ceiling windows looking out on the Charles give a spectacular view. The only odd thing about the space is that you get into it via a small door in the back of the parking garage. I'm not sure if future construction's going to address this, but it's a little wierd as is.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Re: MOS Renovations /Additions

The image above pretty much matches the model

There are a lot of big drawings from the Model and some photos and pedestrian flows etc on the wall of the same room

As to the connections - -the Gordon wing will integrate with new infill on the Charles Side connecting the Garage completely to the main museum complex

The time line for all this is in the next few years -- my guess is that depending on the donor {the next Gordon} that the wing along the street {Currently referred to as the Obrien Wing for the street} will be next with the Planetarium complex the last to be finished

All might be done by 2012 or so -- but that is just speculation

Westy
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

I was looking at the Cambridge Seven site and evidently they are doing this project now?

BMOS_0305_1_M_River-Rend.jpg


BMOS_0305_2_M_ModelRiver.jpg


BMOS_0305_3_M_.jpg


BMOS_0305_4_M_PerspPlans.jpg


The Museum of Science?s first master plan and program reorganizes the effect of multiple additions to the facility, creating an overall concept for the layout of the museum, and redefining the Museum?s identity to embrace new technology as well as science. The 440,000 sf Museum?s strategic plan calls for renovation of existing physical spaces and a 40,000 sf expansion which will enable them to extend their audience and create a distinctive physical presence in Boston and on the water. It also establishes a framework to incorporate a broad range of sustainable design initiatives.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Hey it's the future of 1990! Why is it everything C7 does is lame as hell?
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Will this plan extend the walkway behind the museum so that it goes all the way through? Right now it stops 2/3 of the way across. It's a major missing connection in the Charles River park system.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

B.C. High on steroids.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Oh Ron, your concerns are so pedestrian (the pun was irresistible).
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

Hey it's the future of 1990! Why is it everything C7 does is lame as hell?
This is truly lame, but I thought they did a great job updating the children's museum (from the exterior, at least).
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

The second set of renderings look like the planet earth on star trek.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

No word on how/if this affects the expansion, but I'm guessing it is not good news.

Boston.com - June 11, 2008
Museum of Science trims 10% of its 400 staffers
Reorganization, budget woes cited

By Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff | June 11, 2008

With attendance down and a budget deficit looming, the Museum of Science yesterday laid off 10 percent of its 400-person staff. The cuts were across the board, ranging from $175,000-a-year vice presidents to lower-paid exhibit designers.

Museum president Ioannis Miaoulis said the layoffs were budget-driven only in part. At a Nov. 28 trustee meeting, the board was told that the museum was facing a potential $3 million deficit. Miaoulis said that he expects the museum to break even this year, thanks to transfers from reserve funds and jobs left unfilled. The cuts will not have any impact on the current fiscal year, which runs through this month.

Miaoulis said he waited six months to make the cuts because the Boston museum had not determined how it should be reorganized.

"Regardless of the budget, we would have made cuts," he said. "Entering a recession made us look more in depth and make deeper cuts. But that was not the main driver of the organization. It was strategic."

Since taking over in 2003, Miaoulis has overseen tremendous growth, scoring grants that allowed him to increase the museum's budget from roughly $25 million to $45 million and its staff size from under 300 to about 400.

He said that under the restructuring plan, several changes have been made. The museum will create an education division made up of programs, exhibits, and curriculum. Marketing, communications, and advocacy will become the external affairs department.

The information technology department has been eliminated, with ticketing and database functions transferring to the finance department, while Web design will become part of the education department.

Four vice presidents, making between $150,000 and $175,000, according to the most recent tax filings on record, were cut.

One has been offered another position, with reduced pay. David Rabkin, formerly vice president for innovation, strategic partnerships, and sustainability, said he will accept the offer.

"I'm going to stay because there's still important work to be done," said Rabkin, on staff since 2000. He said he does not yet know what his new position will be.

Richard M. Burnes Jr., chairman of the museum's board, estimated that 10 of the 40 positions could be restored over time. The museum needs to be more flexible, he said, to develop innovative exhibits and educational programs. With fewer full-time staffers, the museum will be able to hire more people for specific projects.

"Technology changes," he said. "And in a science museum it's really important to keep current. If we don't do a good job in the area of science education, the United States is going to be working for the Chinese and Indians in 50 years."

Miaoulis said the attendance woes are not surprising. In 2006, the museum drew 1.9 million people, aided by the blockbuster exhibit "Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies." In 2007, that figure fell to 1.5 million, he said.

In addition, a renovation of the museum's Omni Theater kept it closed for three months.

Miaoulis disclosed the layoffs yesterday morning. Everybody involved received a severance package, he said. At 2:30, remaining staffers gathered in the theater.

"I first told them how I felt because it's not easy letting colleagues and friends go, and then I outlined what is the competitive environment and how it has changed," Miaoulis said.

"I told them how we needed to transform the museum so we can maintain its position as one of the best museums internationally."

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

I wonder if they're examining selling their current facilities and relocating.

It worked for the ICA.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

As close to MIT as you can get and still call yourself the Boston Museum of Science. Close to the T. Close to the River. Most likely, the land is all paid for.
Seems like a pretty sweet spot.

Unless someone has donated a large swath of land to them, I don't really see the benefit of moving.
 
Re: Museum Of Science Renovation/ Addition

They're on top of a dam and a former MDC park, so I'd guess that they have a low- or no-cost long-term lease rather than owning the land.
 

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