Renzo Piano California Academy of Sciences Piazza Glass Roof
San Francisco, CA
1/4"=1' scale
18" x 24" x 10"
This was one of those technical challenges that seem impossible at first, but you just cannot stop thinking about it until it is solved. The challenge was not just to make a model, but to build it to “museum quality” standards for the Autodesk Design Museum with the added durability requirement to withstand travel to exhibitions around the world. Our solution: metal. The structure itself is all brass, mostly metal-etched, then soldered into 3D shapes. The “glass” is made of laser-cut acrylic, designed and assembled with tiny fittings at every corner, true to the Renzo Piano design. The warmth of the metal and wood, coupled with the benefits of perspective from all vantage points, bring the design experience to another level.