Cinnabar California

Cinnabar Creates Interactive Eco Challenge Exhibit for Discovery Science Center

2011-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Cinnabar Creates Interactive Eco Challenge Exhibit for Discovery Science Center

Los Angeles, California, USA - October 25, 2011
Where can kids shop for dinner, sort the trash faster than a recycling worker, and clean out the garage, all in less than an hour?

Discovery Science Center (DSC), the popular children's museum in Santa Ana, Calif., called on seasoned exhibit producer, artisan and fabricator Cinnabar Inc. to realize its concept for "Eco Challenge" - a fun and educational experience that marries authentically detailed themed environments to interactive video game technology and teaches kids about eco-friendly choices.

The exhibit, open since September, has already hosted thousands of children and been hailed as a success.

"The children are immersed in an amazing environment full of realism and technology," says Joe Adams, Discovery Science Center President. "We're already hearing from parents that the message from the experience is being driven home."

The project was born when Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCW&R) approached Discovery Science Center with the idea for the exhibit. The museum then turned to Cinnabar to help make the exhibit a reality.

Jonathan Katz

"We were brought in and given the creative vision," explains Cinnabar President Jonathan Katz. "With the museum's guidance, we completed the design/build work and assembled a team to accomplish the completely integrated project, including longtime Cinnabar collaborator Mindi Lipschultz as media producer, and BBI Engineering for A/V systems and mechanical interfaces."

As visitors navigate the three zones of Eco Challenge (Discovery Market, Race to Recycle and Eco Garage), they are greeted and addressed by the "Eco Crew" - six unique, digitally animated, 3D-rendered characters that appear, reappear and interact with visitors throughout the experience - showing up on a variety of digital displays from 52" vertical monitors down to 15" shopping cart screens. Lively, friendly and informative, the Eco Crew members reflect the diversity of their audience and address their viewers as equals while making an engaging, clear and passionate connection to what all of us can do to Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.

The exhibit centers around three keystone experiences, all media-rich and detail-laden:

Sandra

Discovery Market is a life-size recreation of a grocery store, complete with computer-enhanced shopping carts. Eco Crew members help guide visitors through making the most ecologically friendly decisions while navigating the store.

The battery-powered shopping carts, scaled to the museum's younger visitors, are equipped with touchscreen displays and handheld scanners. The user-friendly, intuitive interface lets visitors jump right into the experience The carts are engineered to be extremely durable, able to take the daily wear-and-tear dealt out in a supermarket and a hands-on science center.

Race to Recycle turns the concept of carnival-style horseracing into a trash and recycling sorting adventure. After a quick introduction from Eco Crew member Zac, who shows up on the screen console for each sorting station, kids select items off a moving conveyor belt and sort them into the proper bin to advance their waste truck along the racecourse.

Eco Garage recreates three typical household garages, along with the bevy of toxic items contained within. Armed with scanners, kids race the clock to pick items they think are hazardous waste. At the end, Eco Crew member Justin directs them to the nearest real-life hazardous waste processing facility.

"[Eco Challenge] is utilizing a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art exhibit to educate children and parents on the importance of making eco-friendly decisions for the long-term," explains Adams.

The project was completed in less than a year - a feat which Katz credits to a clear vision from the museum and a cohesive team.

"A key part of our Integrated Creative Management (ICM) approach is to bring all the participants to the table at the beginning of a project. By identifying all the roles and our expectations at the onset, the project was able to move at a quick pace," says Katz. "Additionally, ICM results in additional value and savings for the client- enhancing the risk/reward attractiveness of this production model." The Discovery Science Center provided a clear vision for Cinnabar and Cinnabar in turn set in motion an effective collaborative production.

Already, the museum is seeing results from the team's efforts. The exhibit has been a hit with school groups and field trips.

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About Cinnabar Founded in 1982, Cinnabar California, Inc. is one of the entertainment industry's leading production and fabrication companies, providing specialty fabrication for television, film and themed venues. In recent years, Cinnabar has been at the forefront of developments that have seen the integration of innovative new approaches to the process and production of museum exhibitions. Operating from a 30,000 square foot production facility, Cinnabar is able to provide its clients a complete range of in-house design-build, project management, and manufacturing services. Cinnabar is a licensed General Contractor in California and Nevada, and has held GC registration in other states on an as-needed basis.

About Discovery Science Center

Discovery Science Center is Orange County's leading destination for hands-on science fun where guests can explore more than 100 interactive science exhibits. Blast off in the Boeing Rocket Lab featuring a real rocket engine, explore the planets in the Planetary Research Station and discover the science behind a puck in the Science of Hockey. Discovery Science Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young minds, assisting teachers and increasing public understanding of science, math and technology through interactive exhibits and programs. For more information, call 714-542-2823 or go online at www.discoverycube.org.

MEDIA CENTER

PHOTOGRAPHY
Available with captions and credits

VIDEOS and MORE PHOTOS
Meet the characters who give Eco Challenge its personality

DSC PRESS
Discovery Science Center's Eco Challenge release

Eco Challenge promotional video from Discovery Science Center

2011-09-29T14:30:00.001-07:00

Eco Challenge opened in September 2011 at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Calif. Cinnabar is proud to have collaborated with DSC as producer, helping to realize the museum's vision for an engaging, immersive exhibit that uses interactive media to motivate children and their families to think about the effects of their decisions as consumers in the grocery store.

Eco Challenge at DSC - media production

2011-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Mindi Lipschultz talks about media production for the new Eco Challenge exhibit, on location at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California. Eco Challenge was produced by Cinnabar and opened in September 2011.

Interpretive Storytelling: The Art of Weaving Facts into Fascination

2011-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Interpretive Storytelling: The Art of Weaving Facts into Fascination
Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz will speak at the SATE '11 Orlando conference, 9/22-23.
Organized by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) SATE addresses the art of Experience Design. The "Interpretive Storytelling" panelists include Jonathan Katz, Dennis Earl Moore (Dennis Earl Moore Productions) and Matthew Goodrich (Rockwell Group). Moderator is Larry Tuch of Narrative Concepts.

Cinnabar's work at Calif Academy recognized with SEGD Design Award

2010-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Photo: Joe Fletcher

CLICK TO SEE PRESS RELEASE

Jury comments:
“A delightful collage of visuals, artifacts, and typography. Not too much, not too little. Using the specimen box as inspiration for the signage is brilliant.” (Mitchell)

“The design's juxtaposition of the organic with structural geometric forms is beautifully executed, and the integration of digital media is seamless. It's the perfect expression of science and nature.”

More information on SEGD website here.

California Academy of Sciences favorite spot for Sili Valley corporate events

2010-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

Photo: Joe Fletcher

This Dec 15 2009 article by Paul Rogers in the Silicon Valley Mercury News shows how today's museums can make the most of their unique settings to bring in ancillary revenue with evening events.

"...a growing number of Silicon Valley companies are holding their parties backed by a 40-foot Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a coral reef teeming with 4,000 Philippine day-glo fish and a domed planetarium showing how super novae explode...

"Despite a rental fee that can total $30,000 a night, the museum has played host to scores of corporate events, tilted heavily toward tech, from the launch of video game phenomenon Spore to a 15th anniversary bash for WIRED magazine. In the past year and a half Google, Microsoft, IBM, Salesforce.com, Adobe, Intel and Oracle all have rented out some or all of the museum..."

Click here to read the full story.

Click here for a special report on the museum featuring panoramic photos inside and out.

Making the California Academy of Sciences Sustainable Inside as Well as Out

2009-09-21T11:48:00.001-07:00

A Sept 16 2009 article, written by Alyssa Walker and published in Fast Company, describes how the creative team responsible for exhibits, including executive producer Jonathan Katz and design firm Volume Inc. carried through the sustainability mandate at the new California Academy of Sciences. Choice of materials, technologies, production methods and the modular kit-of-parts all played a part in making the museum a model of sustainability inside and out. Read the article here.

One Year On, the Remarkable Success of the California Academy of Sciences

2009-09-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

The new California Academy of Sciences attracted 2.2 million visits in its first year - well ahead of the 1.7 million that had been projected. In this Sept 18 2009 article, Academy director Gregory Farrington tells the San Francisco Examiner that he never anticipated he would one day leave the east coast for California and become head of what is now said to be the second-most visited attraction in the Golden State.

Click here to read the article, by Kamala Kelkar.

Bemusement comments on the green life of Jonathan Katz

2009-05-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Click here to read the story.

Jonathan Katz, Executive Producer of "Altered State" Exhibit at California Academy of Sciences to Speak at Colloquium May 30 in Berkeley

2009-05-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Katz, CEO of Cinnabar Inc. and executive producer of the "Altered State" exhibit on climate change for the new California Academy of Sciences, will speak to the museum/academic community about risk-taking at the May 30 Risk and Reality colloquium organized by Dr. Susan Spero of John F. Kennedy University in San Francisco.

The colloquium runs 10:00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., at the JFKU Berkeley campus, 2956 San Pablo Avenue. Attendance is free to JFKU students, faculty and staff, $15 for alumni, and $30 for the general public. Katz's presentation, "Seven Rules of Risk," will examine the nature of creative risk and provide specific tools for its successful mitigation. "Taking creative risks is an integral part of developing exhibits that raise vital social and political issues," says Katz. "Instead of trying to avoid risk, which in the museum community is all too often the typical response, we need to learn to embrace risk..." Full announcement here.

Academy visitors share their ideas on combating climate change at Altered State's "Share Your Ideas"

2009-05-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Katz writes about a hugely popular, low-tech interactive within the "Altered State" exhibit on climate change he executive produced for the new California Academy of Sciences:

“'Share Your Ideas,' is located at the center of 'Altered State,' within the Arena for Engagement where the content focuses on communities, families and individuals.
In this simplest and most direct of interfaces, visitors write and sketch their own suggestions and ideas for conserving energy, reducing carbon footprint and combating climate change. Pencils and slips of paper about the size of luggage tags are supplied by the Academy for this purpose. Visitors hang their completed entries on hooks for others to view. People respond to the succinct format: each individual entry has the feeling of a work of art..."

Full article here.

"Green Acres" - IPM magazine and Exhibit Builder story about the Academy

2009-05-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

"There are institutions that say they are green, and then there are those that shout
GREEN from their rooftops..." writes Martin Palicki in this feature story that was published in Exhibit Builder magazine, reprinted in IPM magazine and distributed at the 2009 American Association of Museums expo... Full article here.

"Imagine receiving the following creative brief..." (SEGDdesign magazine)

2009-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Leslie Wolke of fd2s wrote a feature article about the new Academy for SEGDesign magazine, which is published by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design:

"Imagine receiving the following creative brief:

'Collaborate with a Pritzker Prize winning architect, evolutionary biologists and ecologists, and the staff of a 157-year-old acclaimed research institution to create a new generation of sustainable exhibition design for a space bathed in natural light and without walls, in the middle of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.'

This was the challenge that brought together Jonathan Katz, founder and CEO of Cinnabar, a Los Angeles-based production and fabrication company, and Adam Brodsley, principal and co-founder of Volume Inc., a multi-disciplinary design studio in San Francisco. Katz, Brodsley, and a bevy of designers and exhibit specialists produced two main attractions for the new home of the California Academy of Sciences, the 412,000-sq.-ft. LEED Platinum museum that is transforming the definition of that word by its very being..."

Full article here.

New Wonder of the World, according to Conde Nast: Cal Academy of Sciences!

2009-04-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

Conde Nast Traveler magazine has named the new California Academy of Sciences one of Architecture's New Wonders of the World, saying that the museum "took the challenge of building green to its logical yet superbly creative conclusion."

Read praise of "the greenest museum ever constructed" here.

Museums and Green Building

2009-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

Posted by Jonathan Katz on Bemusement, Feb 5:
"Being green requires that you enter into an honest debate to achieve an understanding of consumption-related issues that go far beyond just the selection of materials. Going green is good for your image, but it's not just about the public face – it's about being green in who you are and what you do – while also being economical, efficient, and providing a great guest experience."

Click here to read the full article.

Specimens in a Sustainable Environment

2009-02-06T19:26:00.001-08:00

From Exhibit Files:
Jonathan Katz discusses the challenges of furnishing a controlled environment for the display of sensitive specimens in the new California Academy of Sciences' LEED building with its natural ventilation and sunlight. The solution was to develop exhibit modules with their own temperature and humidity control systems - the "kit of parts."

"Core tenets established by the Academy for the exhibits we were developing on the main floor embodied a conflict, a primary challenge that was imperative we address and resolve. The programs of sustainability and specimen display are in opposition to one another..." Full story here.

Calif Academy of Sciences review on Exhibit Files

2009-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Posted by Judith White on Exhibit Files:
"On a Friday afternoon in mid January my husband, Dale Marcellini, and I made a visit to the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Both of us had been to the old Academy... Both of us have worked in museums and zoos for many years in education, exhibits and animal husbandry (Dale was curator of herpetology at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.)

But this was not a professional visit. A friend, who is not a museum professional, invited us. We put aside our critical faculties and planned to be tourists and “just enjoy the visit,” as our friend advised. After a while that proved difficult; there were just too many issues that stirred us up..."

Ms White's review provides many interesting observations about the architecture and the exhibits. African Hall is one of several areas singled out for special praise. Read the full review here.

A Museum That Shouts Climate Change

2009-01-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

LA Times, 14 Jan 2009
Margot Roosevelt

More than 640,000 visitors have wandered below the undulating, wildflower-adorned roof of the California Academy of Sciences since the $488-million museum opened Sept. 27 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Replacing a neoclassical building damaged in the 1989 earthquake, the dazzling, light-filled structure by Renzo Piano has been lauded by architecture critics and awarded the highest "platinum" rating by the U.S. Green Building Council for its cutting-edge, energy-saving features.

The museum's tiered rainforest with butterflies that flit about your head, its walk-through aquarium, its Galapagos and Madagascar exhibits, and its 38,000 live animals, from neon-hued geckos to African penguins--altogether, it is a 412,000-square-foot natural history extravaganza. But for all its theatricality, what makes the academy even more unusual is its uncompromising stance on climate change. This is a museum with a point of view.

"Altered State," the bold, 10,000-square-foot exhibit designed by the Los Angeles production firm Cinnabar, tells in lively graphics and easy-to-understand illustrations how the Earth is warming from heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, how species are disappearing, how glaciers are melting, and how oceans are acidifying. But beyond that, the interactive nature of the exhibit all but shouts at the visitor: Do something about it!...

Full article here.

Photo: Cinnabar

Jonathan Katz Speaks about California Academy of Sciences at Feb 27 and April 3 Events in San Francisco

2009-01-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz, executive producer of 35,000 square feet of multimedia exhibits for the celebrated, new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, will speak on two industry panels in the San Francisco area, Feb 27 and April 3.

Feb 27: With the exhibits “Altered State,” (executive produced by Katz) the Academy adopted a bold stance on the issue of climate change. The panel, “Exhibitions: Experimentation, Risk and Reward,” takes place Feb 27 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. It addresses the rewards and challenges of experimentation and risk-taking in the museum sector – daring to try something new in a community that is traditionally risk-averse. It is moderated by Ann Marshall of the Autry National Museum. With Katz on the panel are Kitty Connolly and Karina White of The Huntington Library and Jonathan Spaulding of the Autry. This session is part of the California Association of Museums Annual Conference running Feb 25-28. More info: www.calmuseums.org.

April 3: “The Living Building” is a by-invitation event for the design community, focusing on the professional teamwork that created this breakthrough facility. This panel discussion takes place April 3 at the Academy. It is presented by Metropolis magazine and Coalesse, and the discussion will be led by Metropolis editor-in-chief Susan Szenasy. Katz is joined on the panel by Brett Terpeluk of Studio Terpeluk (architecture), Paul Kephart of Rana Creek (ecological design), and Jean Rogers of Arup (design & engineering). More info: coalesse.com or phone 866-645-6952.

Katz brought his innovative creative approach, his green-building expertise, his efficient management style and his company, Cinnabar Inc., to the production of 35,000 sq. ft. of original, new exhibits and multimedia for the Kimball Museum of Natural History within the new California Academy of Sciences. As executive producer, Katz assembled and oversaw the creative team to develop the exhibits on a modular, sustainable scale to complement the architecture, fulfill green building criteria, minimize power usage while meeting high project standards, adhere to the Academy’s budget and timeframe, and facilitate future modification.

Back to Roots, High-Tech Style

2009-01-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

California Academy of Sciences leverages the power of technology in its new LEED-platinum venue... a December 2008 article in Exhibit City News by Anna Huddleston

"A museum that lives and breathes… Wasn’t it just recently that the mere concept of museums was associated with static content and interactivity was defined as pressing a button to hear a sound bite? As the new generation of museums seeks to engage multiple generations of visitors, each of whom absorbs information at different levels and speeds, traditional storytelling is spun around by new technologies and visitors find themselves in a capsule of immersive learning and entertainment...."

Click here to read the full article

Galapagos video - Historic Academy expedition

2008-10-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt of a video documentary produced by Mindi Lipschultz for the Galapagos exhibits at the new California Academy of Sciences, with Jonathan Katz of Cinnabar as executive producer. The material drawn from was a collection of historic photographs of the Academy's research voyage to the islands 100 years ago, in the Academy Schooner.

Mindi developed a unique "multiplane 3D" animation technique to bring the photos to life and also added special effects to give the viewers the feeling that they are traveling through the actual 1905-06 landscapes. Note that even in this compressed-down, vlog format, it's like watching a 3D movie or looking at stereoviews but without any need for 3D glasses.

Click here for a library of photos and additional video excerpts representing Lipschultz's body of work on the Academy project, as part of the Cinnabar production team.

On Cinnabar's Creative Team for Cal Academy, Mindi Lipschultz Produces Media

2008-10-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Mindi Lipschultz was senior media producer, media designer and creative director for 31 media pieces for the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The media included short documentaries, interactive games and mural projections. Lipschultz was recruited for the job by executive producer and Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz.

Click here to access a library of images and video pertaining to this work, which includes:

Insect Collecting Game ("Islands of Evolution" exhibits). Players use a hand tool that they swing in mid-air and which correlates with one of four scientific collecting tools on the screen. Visitors become virtual field scientists on an expedition in Madagascar.

Galapagos Documentary ("Islands of Evolution" exhibits) Dozens of glass plate photos taken in 1905 are brought to life in this short documentary showcasing a century of Academy expeditions to the Galapagos Islands.

Virtual Safaris (Tusher Africa Center) Eight virtual safari adventures are accessed via interactive touch screens mounted into the wall graphic panels. Each one corresponds to the scene depicted in the nearby diorama.

Photos: Mindi Lipschultz

"Altered State" Exec Producer Jonathan Katz to speak at Calif Assn of Museums conference Feb 2009

2008-10-05T05:50:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Katz, CEO of Cinnabar Inc. and executive producer of 35,000 square feet of exhibits for the new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, will speak at the next annual conference of the California Association of Museums (CAM), to be held February 2009 in San Francisco. The theme of the gathering is "Building Bridges: Collaboration, Innovation, Risk." Katz will talk about the Academy's 10,000 sq ft "Altered State" exhibit produced by Cinnabar, which addresses the topic of climate change and its effects on the state of California. Here is the summary from CAM's conference schedule:

SESSION 7D: Exhibitions: Experimentation, Risk, and Reward
Friday, Feb 27, 2009
California Association of Museums Annual Conference
"Most museums, big and small, are risk-averse, yet bold exhibits can really pay off. Speakers will discuss recent exhibitions that exemplify different kinds of risk, including those pushing the museum field into new territory with innovative designs and interpretive techniques, as well as risks that arise internally when new ambitions run up against tradition, budgets, and limited staff time. Join us for a lively discussion on the rewards and challenges involved in daring to try something new. Moderators: Ann Marshall, Director Exhibitions, Autry National Museum and Kitty Connolly, Botanical Education Manager, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Presenters: Jonathan Katz, President and CEO, Cinnabar; Jonathan Spaulding, Vice President of Exhibitions, Autry National Center."

Photos: Cinnabar Inc.

ASTC "IGLO" blog notes Cinnabar's "Altered State" exhibits at new Calif Academy of Sciences

2008-09-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

IGLO (International Action on Global Warming) is a project of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), an international organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering the public understanding of science. IGLO is led by Walter Staveloz, the Director of International Relations. IGLO is dedicated to raising public awareness about the impact of global warming, and position science centers globally as recognized leaders in public engagement with science.

An item on ASTC's IGLO blog notes the "Altered State" exhibits concerning climate change, that were produced by Cinnabar for the new California Academy of Sciences.

Note: the 2008 ASTC conference is coming up next month in Philadelphia, and will feature an IGLO pre-conference session on October 17.

The picture shows a display on rising California glaciers at the California Academy of Sciences, part of the "Altered State" exhibits produced by Cinnabar. Photo: Cinnabar.

"The Spacewriter" CC Petersen on Cinnabar's Academy team

2008-09-22T19:06:00.001-07:00

Carolyn Collins Petersen, aka "The Spacewriter" is an accomplished exhibit writer for the planetarium and science center community, and also VP of Loch Ness Productions. She wrote much of the exhibit text for the exhibits Cinnabar produced for the new California Academy of Sciences. This link takes you to a relevant entry on Petersen's excellent blog where she writes about her work.

Photo: Cinnabar, Inc.

SF local media reports on new California Academy of Sciences

2008-09-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

An excellent series of articles has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle. The illustration shown here, published on the SF Gate website, makes it easy to see the locations of the exhibits produced by Cinnabar for the Academy: Altered State, Islands of Evolution, Early Explorers Cove, Tusher African Center and the reinstallation of the Foucault Pendulum.

Here's an additional link, to the Academy blog.

This link is to a short audio broadcast from KCBS.

Ingrid Taylar, writing for About.com:San Francisco, furnished a good overview that includes a description and photo of Altered State, the climate change exhibits produced by Cinnabar.

The KQED Quest Blog provides historic and scientific detail, and background on many of the exhibits, including the Foucault Pendulum and Madagascar.

Photo: Cinnabar Inc.

Cinnabar's Academy installation images online

2008-09-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

Click here for a library of pictures taken by Cinnabar's team in the course of installing the new exhibits Cinnabar has produced for the new California Academy of Sciences. More images will continue to be added to this library, and video as well. The new Academy opens Sept. 27.

Shown here: Cinnabar project manager Jeannie Lomma works on installation of a recreated diorama for Africa Hall at the California Academy of Sciences. Photo: Cinnabar.

Metropolis Magazine Features New Calif Academy of Sciences

2008-09-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

The September 2008 issue of Metropolis magazine has a cover story on the new California Academy of Sciences. The article focuses heavily on Renzo Piano's stunning LEED-worthy building and its "living roof." It also shines a spotlight on Cinnabar's work for the Academy, noting the "kit of parts" modular approach to exhibit design and fabrication that Cinnabar employed, and looks at the information design work provided by Volume Inc. as a member of Cinnabar's creative team.

Here is a link to the article with an illustration and detail about Cinnabar's work at the Academy. This link briefly spotlights the work of Volume, the information designer on Cinnabar's team.

Cinnabar Commences "Altered State" Exhibit Setup At New California Academy of Sciences

2008-09-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Cinnabar has moved on to the west side of the Renzo Piano-designed, LEED-status building and commenced installation of "Altered State," 10,000 sq. ft. of contemporary exhibits concerning climate change and the state of California.

The exhibits draw upon on the academy's formidable specimen collection and the findings of its research scientists, along with live animal displays, media, interactives, and graphic panels to present information authoritatively, and invite the visitor into the conversation.

"It was especially important to design and produce 'Altered State' as a participatory guest experience," says Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz. "The issue becomes real in terms of people's daily lives -- the choices we make -- and how we perceive California."

Katz is particularly well qualified as executive producer of "Altered State." As part of the Jerry Brown gubernatorial administration in the 1970s, he helped implement conservation initiatives such as the Office of Appropriate Technology and the California Conservation Corps...

Read the full story in Lighting & Sound America magazine.

Access this story as a Word document.

Access additional photos on Photobucket.

Photo: T-Rex in the Extinction exhibit at the new California Academy of Sciences. Photo by Cinnabar, Inc.

Installation diary: Cinnabar at the Academy

2008-08-11T13:00:00.001-07:00

On a weekly basis until the new California Academy of Sciences opens on 27 September, Cinnabar will post regular installation reports on Bemusement, the industry blog published by Blooloop. Check back to see all the installments as they come in.

Photos: Cinnabar, Inc.

August 11: Truckloads, aircraft cable, zero gravity and the Academy Schooner.

August 22: Bug Rug (east side) and Oceans module (west).

Aug 29: Finishing up "Islands of Evolution" on the east side, moving on to "Altered State" on the west side of the building.

Sept. 10: This is - and isn't - your grandfather's science museum.

Kit-of-Parts Exhibit Systems Transform Renzo Piano's "Green" Building Into the California Academy of Sciences

2008-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

“The new California Academy of Sciences building is a huge departure from the typical black box museum gallery. The public floor is a big space – a giant football field – including the planetarium and rain forest domes and a piazza in the middle. Glass frames the full width of either end – all the way to the ceiling, at 34 feet. Our exhibits need to perform in this marvelous volume, without the crutches of regimented order or separated galleries,”says Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz, Executive Producer for 35,000 square feet of new, innovative exhibits for the Kimball Natural History Museum in the main hall of the new Academy, which reopens Sept. 27th.

“Our concept to integrate exhibit structures and the built environment was developed in collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop. It’s what Renzo calls the 'Kit-of-Parts,'” says Katz.

Jonathan Katz heads a creative team that conceptualized, designed, fabricated and is now in the process of installing the new exhibits in six areas at the new California Academy of Sciences, a $488 million, 410,000 square foot facility, which is also home to the Steinhart Aquarium and the Morrison Planetarium.

Transforming a “starchitect” building into a science museum

A vital part of Cinnabar's work for the Academy was the development of unique, versatile, sustainable exhibit systems - “kits of parts” with self-contained infrastructure to support a variety of media and graphic displays as well as controlled environments for the display of specimens. These modules were an essential and pioneering solution for presenting and preserving items from the Academy collection without the need to incorporate the infrastructure elements within the architecture of the building itself...

Click here to read the entire story on Lighting & Sound America, or here to read it on Blooloop.

Access this story as a "Word document".

Access additional photos on Photobucket.

Collaborate, Design, Engage, Succeed! An Interview With Jonathan Katz

2008-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Liucija Ambrosini interviewed Cinnabar CEO Jonathan Katz about his company's role designing several exhibit galleries for the new California Academy of Sciences, set to re-open 9/27/08 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Below is an excerpt. The full interview is on Blooloop.com.

Q: What is the relationship between you and CAS?
A: My title on the project is Executive Producer, and I am responsible for assembling the team to conceptualize, design and install many of the exhibits. I am like the three-legged stool: I have to oversee the schedule, the budget and the creative synthesis of the message.

Among the many different areas we are designing and building are the Natural History Museum Exhibits located in the main hall: Expedition-based exhibits about Madagascar and Galapagos, as well as the California Exhibit, throughout which is woven the topic of Climate Change – how it will affect us and how we can do something about it; the Early Childhood Center; the recreation of Tusher Africa Hall; and the Naturalist Center, a research area complete with displays, specimens and reading areas for visitors.

The childhood center includes a California backyard with activities, a tide pool and endangered species play activities, reflecting the diversity and beauty of the natural environment. The original Tusher Africa Hall had a series of dioramas and CAS wanted to save the hall as a legacy of its past. We are faithfully recreating familiar loved features and adding some new elements. We are also reinstalling another legacy piece - the Foucault Pendulum. CAS has always had its own machine shop and built pendulums for many museums around the world.

Q: What is important for museums to consider as they develop new ideas, exhibits, new directions?
Museums tend to be very protective of what they are about. While good in one respect, it can mean that they may isolate themselves from a bigger dialogue and a bigger result. At times I think management can be overly academic or too hierarchical.

A: Museums have been very slow to break away from their traditional production models. Many have been insular, resistant to new approaches. But many times, when it comes to designing and building exhibits, there are false economics in play. Design based only on money considerations never works out. Institutions end up either spending more money than anticipated or not getting what they expected. It just does not maximize the return to the institution. Museums would benefit from exploring different ways to build exhibits, and a more collaborative process.