Academy of life: with over 1.7 million native plants on its roof, the Academy of Sciences comes to life

Architectural Review, The, Feb, 2008 by Rob Gregory

Construction work is complete on Renzo Piano's California Academy of Sciences. As featured in the AR preview issue (AR April 2005), the scheme was necessary as key parts of the existing complex had been closed following the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. A new building was proposed that would also respond to the ambition for the academy to extend its work, exhibition spaces, specimen collections, and public activities to as wide an audience as possible. Unlike Herzog & de Meuron's de Young Museum that sits opposite, the Academy conforms to the site's formal arrangement. This extends internally with principal and secondary axis clarifying the visitor experience. While tracing this route with project architect Brett Terpeluk, the story of how Renzo Piano secured the commission emerged, indicating how important his understanding of the architect/client relationship was to his bid.

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Having invited a number of high profile international architects to apply, many pulled out all the stops to win, hiring helicopters to take aerial photographs and producing large-scale models to discuss at interview. By contrast, Renzo Piano turned up with his daughter, apparently unprepared. No models. No drawings. Spending a number of days on site, in discussion with the client's expert groups, Piano rolled up his sleeves and started drawing, quickly establishing the concept of draping the landscape over the academy's essential functions. His approach dramatically changed the opinion of the client who had convinced themselves that their flying architect was the person for the job. Fully engaged with their needs, recognising that in-house expertise was something that should be brought into the design process, Piano quickly understood that a large part of the scheme--the creation of internal and external habitats would benefit from their input. As an example of this the roof forms a huge habitat, carefully composed with input from the Academy's botanists. Forming a large external laboratory, this expansive area is more than a typical off-the-shelf green roof system. Instead it provides a great resource for the Academy's ongoing research, bringing with it many obvious environmental benefits. A full study of the building will follow later this year.

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