In case some of you haven't clicked on the link Ozone has in his signature, I thought I would post this. From what I see so far, I think this would totally rock.
I think Sacramento needs more big time museums and exploratoriums, and I think the old PG&E is a perfect location. Sounds like a lot money is going to be need to raised for this though.
Ozone - Anymore info you might have?
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SMASHP
Sacramento Museum of Art, Science, and Human Perception
Modeled on San Francisco’s highly respected and hugely popular Exploratorium. SMASHp will be a publicly-owned science museum located in the old PG&E Building on the Sacramento River. SMASHp may be inspired by the Explortorium but it's own exhibits will be modeled on science museums from around the world. And many of the exhibits will be created by visual and performing artists as well as scientists and educators thus creating an unique environment that will stimulate the senses and appeal to people who are not normally turn-on by science.
The former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. building, next to the new Jibboom Street Park, is currently vacant and the city is looking for someone to rehabilitate of the historic building for commercial and/or community use. We propose transforming it into a unique 21st-century science museum. The building’s Renaissance/Baroque ornamentation provides a museum-like quality and in some ways recalls the Palace of Fine Art Building in San Francisco which houses the Exploratorium.
The historic building made of reinforced concrete has a large open interior space that is ideal for a wide variety of scientific exhibits. Natural light will filter through skylights and windows to illuminate the interior during the day and the building will be dramatically lit at night.
The museum's entrance will be through the neo-classical portal on the west side (riverfront) of the PG&E building. The western orientation will increase activity along riverfront and as the Railyards Project Area is developed the wisdom of this orientation will be further reinforced.
A small but architecturally striking pavilion will be constructed northwest of the museum's entrance and will house the museum’s store and café which will have outside terraced where visitors will be able to dine alfresco while overlooking the Sacramento River.
Several specially landscaped spaces throughout the site will include ‘smart art’ pieces.
The area north of the museum will be reserved for a future museum tower –a mix-use residential high-rise, however, until that time the site will be used for museum parking.
The Sacramento Museum of Art, Science and Human Perception is destined to be the one of Sacramento’s most popular tourist destinations- attracting many people to the area each year and energizing the existing Sacramento River Parkway trail that connects Old Sacramento to Discovery Park and helping to make the Sacramento Riverfront truly world-class.
How will SMASHp be financed?
Corporate Donors
Public Utility
City and County of Sacramento
University of California
State and Federal
