Constantly inspired by science, the welcoming of the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco was an event that all of us at Hlaska were excited to experience. With all of the inspiration our company pulls from science, we were admittedly a little more excited to visit the museum than most design companies might have been. While we will leave all the details up to you to discover on your own, we will divulge that the new planetarium offered us a source of admiration but also a reminder of how change is so powerful that it can almost erase memories of the past.

Taking a virtual journey from our planet to the furthest reaches of the known universe was quite an experience, especially in the new digital projection dome, complete with reclining seats and pre-show mood lighting.

But it also made us think. Why is it that sometimes, when things are built anew or reinvented, using all of the modern day technology and gloss, we yearn for the way it used to be? We have to admit; we did miss the nostalgia that the original Morrison Planetarium offered, with its 5000-pound star projector as the anchor of the room. There was just something about the intensity of the bright lights on the dome and being able to watch the projector tilt as the “sky” rotated that reminded us of the humble beginnings of space exploration. It felt more tangible in a way, to listen to an actual person speak of the stars instead of a recording of a famous actor reading from a script. You were able to talk with the operator after the show, to ask questions, to take a closer look at the projector. It was more an experience than a light show, more an exploration than entertainment. So, while we highly recommend exploring every inch of the new Academy of Sciences, we will always hold a special place in our hearts for the way it used to be.