Here Now, Your First Look at the Exploratorium's New Home at Pier 15

[Photos via Patricia Chang] The Exploratorium is gearing up for quite a celebration when it opens to the public come April 17, but today media folk were invited to take a sneak peek at the brand spankin' new space on the Embarcadero.

The 330,00 square foot space (inside and out) has three times more space overall than its previous home at the Palace of Fine Arts, and includes exhibits and open space into the bay, city, and outdoor landscape. There will be more than 600 exhibits on view, 150 of which will be brand new. The project is "being designed and constructed with the goal of becoming the largest net-zero energy museum in the United States, if not the world." There's 1.5 acres of free, outdoor space that features a public plaza, promenade, views of the Bay and Telegraph Hill, outdoor exhibits, a bayside restaurant, a plaza-side cafe, food carts and the Exploratorium Store, complete with interactive exhibits. Pier 17, part of the Pier 15/17 campus, provides "back-of-house space" with room for future expansion if necessary.
The indoor and outdoor spaces are divided into six main galleries, and yes, there's a Tactile Dome. The architect of the space is EHDD's Marc L'ltalien, and said that the design of the new home of the Exploratorium was driven by visibility, public access, and flexibility.
· Previous coverage of the Exploratorium [Curbed SF]