Posts tagged '‘model’'
San Francisco Bay Model Visitor Center
In the 1950s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a working model of the San Francisco Bay watershed to test water quality issues. Housed in a 3-acre building, the model is now a fascinating visitor attraction.
After removing 30+ year-old exhibits, Split Rock Studios was essentially left with a walk-through tube in which to place the new exhibits. With little floor space for large exhibits—we turned to the walls. Our designers and artists created a series of stunningly beautiful hand-painted interpretive murals, accompanying interactive reading rails, and carpet inlays, to guide visitors along the path of a drop of water from the High Sierras and Cascades all the way to the San Francisco Bay and on to the ocean. The murals immerse visitors in images of the watershed, while text, and tactile elements acquaint them with related issues. Inside the model gallery, reading rails at key overlooks provide an excellent orientation without obstructing the visitors’ view of the model itself. We even created a scale model where visitors themselves can change channel depths.