Northern Virginia's Science Center partnered with Roto to move forward with a design build project after the completion of the project’s master plan in 2017. Doubling down on a commitment to highly interactive and immersive experiences, Roto stretched the new exhibits to reach from Northern Virginia to the farthest reaches of the universe.
Highlights
- Complete design, build of 30,000 sq. ft.
- Creation of five new immersive technology focused galleries
- Interactive entry sculpture
- Unique rural/urban thematic design to blend with site selection
Roto collaborated with the project architect, HGA, to handpick the site for the new science center. The natural easement leading to the Broad Run stream created opportunities for additional outdoor programming and environmental integration.
The site placement also lent itself to unique building and thematic design. Working with the architect, Roto created a distinctive urban to rural transition throughout the space that is also thoughtfully reflected in the exhibit placement and aesthetics.
This design is introduced by iconic interactive entry sculpture, “The Cloud.” Visitors are then drawn into the space with industrial, mechanical aesthetic at the front of the building that transitions to a more natural feel closer to the back of the building and the stream.
Each new gallery incorporates a phenomenal interactive experience and serves as an entry point into scientific concepts like the Cosmos, Flow, and Habitat, that allows guests to play and create their own interpretations of the ideas. Using state-of-the-art immersive technology and data visualization, the exhibits encourage engagement and open-ended opportunities to explore.
