Twenty-five years after it first opened, the Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore plans an expansion of STEM programming and the construction of a three-story Science Pavilion, expected to begin this fall and open in 2018.
A $34.5 million fund-raising campaign was announced Tuesday night to pay for those projects and other upgrades.
Although the center draws more than 500,000 people a year, it could handle many more with additional space, said Jo Ellen Parker, president and CEO of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.
“It’s a place where children experience how much fun it is to do science,” she said. “They learn how much fun it is to experiment, make things, and have fun doing it. To make it available to more children is what we’re most excited about.”
The new structure, which will wrap around the existing Omnimax Theater and face the Ohio River, will contain 6,000 square feet of learning labs and above that a special exhibitions gallery, at 14,000 square feet, designed to hold large, traveling exhibits. The design for the project is by Indovina Associates Architects, a Pittsburgh firm.
Construction of the nearby Allegheny light-rail station closed down space previously used for exhibitions, such as “Bodies” and “Titanic” in 2007-08.
Since then, the center has had to pass on exhibits such as “Cleopatra,” “Da Vinci” and “The Science of Pixar,” which instead go on to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They require a large gallery, climate-controlled systems, staff and support, said Ron Baillie, science center co-director.
The science center is expected to manage crowds, even without an expansion of parking space, Ms. Parker said, adding that the light-rail system is popular with visitors.
“People don’t realize we’re the most visited museum [in the area],” said Ann Metzger, also co-director. “We expect that visitors could go up as high as 50 percent.”
The public launch of Spark! A Campaign for Carnegie Science Center aims to add to the $26.5 million support already pledged by 120 foundations, corporations and individual donors.
The largest gift of $5 million was promised by the DSF Charitable Foundation to fund the special exhibitions gallery.
Ms. Metzger said more programming in science, technology, engineering and math will take place in the learning labs. The center’s programs cater to all ages, from early learners to adults. In-school education outreach works with another 170,000 students and teachers.
“Programming is so attractive to the community that we can fill as much space as we can create,” Ms. Metzger said. “We already have spectacular views to be able to capitalize on. Those will really connect the science center with the city.”
The special exhibitions gallery can be divided into two spaces if necessary, Ms. Parker said, and the learning labs will be built to accommodate various teaching approaches.
“It’s a very flexible space, where a program leader can give students any of a number of kinds of experience, working with models, working with technology, having a conversation in that space, or drawing or designing things. … It’s going to be exciting; there’s going to be a lot of fun stuff going on there all the time.”
The current Omnimax Theater will be transformed into a laser digital theater to accommodate the many films now only available in digital, Mr. Baillie said.
“You can project anything. It could be a YouTube or educational documentary or Hollywood films. There are more opportunities. The laser replaces the 10,000-watt lightbulb. It will have tremendous brightness and clarity.”
The capital campaign has already gotten support from employers such as Allegheny Health Network and Covestro that represent STEM-related jobs, Mr. Baillie said.
“Much of their work force is retiring; there’s a need over the next five years, a need to meet the demands of the industrial community.”
He said the center will upgrade computers and existing technology, but also expand classes in robotics, engineering and design and computer game design.
Even the outdoor space will be transformed, Mr. Baillie said.
“We’ll be enhancing the trail system,” he said, linking the trail on the upstream and downstream sides of the center, with provisions for educational use, seating, shade and food service.
Jill Daly: jdaly@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1596.
First Published: April 20, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
Updated: April 20, 2016, 4:25 a.m.
