Renzo Piano San Francisco Science Museum Roof

Renzo piano s california academy of sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world.

Renzo piano san francisco science museum roof.

The goal as he described it was to lift up a piece of the park and put a building under to blend seamlessly into golden gate s natural setting. Images by nic lehoux tim griffith shunji ishida justin lee tom fox swa group. Italian architect renzo piano gave the museum a roof made of rolling earth planted with more than 1 7 million plants from nine different native species. California academy of sciences by architects renzo piano building workshop opened last week in golden gate park san francisco.

Completely rebuilt in 2008 the academy s primary building in golden. Located in golden gate park the museum s building was completely rebuilt in 2008 after the loma prieta earthquake badly damaged the old structure. Renzo piano architect renzo piano s vision for the academy is perhaps most perfectly expressed by the living roof. Renzo piano merged architecture with nature when he designed a green roof for the california academy of sciences building in golden gate park in san francisco.

The living roof s 1 7 million native plants were specially chosen to flourish in. Founded in 1853 the california academy of sciences in san francisco is one of the largest and most renowned scientific museums in the world it includes an aquarium a natural history museum a rainforest reconstruction and a planetarium. Designing a great cultural and scientific institution in san. A solar canopy around the perimeter of the living roof contains 60 000 photovoltaic cells that supply almost 213 000 kwh of clean energy per year at least 5 percent of the academy s standard energy needs and prevents the release of more than 405 000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

It is one of the most prestigious institutions in the us and one of the few institutes of natural sciences in which public experience and scientific research occur at the same location. When you arrive in front of the california academy of sciences on the other hand you do not wait to get on the roof. The museum which contains an aquarium a planetarium a natural. Designed by renzo piano building workshop architects the california academy of sciences was founded in san francisco in 1853.

The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research.