SportsWorks--one of the
Carnegie Science Center's most popular exhibits--is returning this December after closing in late August 2008.
The science-of-sport exhibition, which originally opened in 2001, was experienced by 3 million visitors in its initial location, and will reopen Dec. 19 in a new facility adjacent to the main Science Center building on the North Shore. The exhibit was previously housed in the former Miller Printing Co. building a block from the Science Center campus. The move to relocate the facility was accelerated by Port Authority's construction of a transit station at SportsWorks' previous spot.
"SportsWorks has 30 hands-on exhibits, including rock climbing, a trampoline, a food pyramid game and the new You-Yo exhibit, which whisks visitors 15 feet into the air," says Christine Line with the Science Center.
The exhibits are fun, says Line, but also educational--they teach visitors about the physics of sports, healthy nutrition and more in a dynamic, high-energy way.
The new Highmark SportsWorks building and exhibit cost $5 million, and broke ground in November 2008. The 20,000-square-foot building, which houses the 12,000-square-foot exhibit as well as four classrooms and a multi-purpose room with a spill-out space, was designed by South Side-based Renaissance 3 Architects. Mascaro Construction of Pittsburgh served as general contractor.
The new SportsWorks location provides a direct visual connection to the Carnegie Science Center through a transparent glazed curtain wall that wraps around the northwest corner of the pre-engineered building frame. The building's transparency allows SportsWorks' exhibits to figuratively reach out to visitors as they transition across the site, says Deepak Wadhwani, a principal at Renaissance 3 Architects. The building utilizes recycled content, regional materials and large low-airflow paddle fans to circulate air in lieu of traditional ductworks. It is registered to become LEED certified.
Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Christine Line, Carnegie Science Center; Deepak Wadhwani, Renaissance 3 Architects
Image courtesy of Renaissance 3 Architects