Little
Discovery Place Science
Charlotte's Science Museum
Charlotte, NC
Project Type
Civic & Cultural, Interiors
Size
145,460-square-feet renovation, 2,030-square-feet addition
Design Services
Architecture, Interior Architecture
Since 1978, Discovery Place Science has served the Charlotte region as a nationally renowned hands-on children's museum.
To better align with its evolving mission, Discovery Place Science enlisted Little and Cambridge Seven Associates to help develop a master plan for updating its facilities in Charlotte's Center City.
After creating the master plan, the Little/C7A team developed a renovation package to support several new exhibit concepts and more robust feature exhibit galleries, easily reconfigurable in size and technical support for a variety of traveling shows.
EXPANDED LIVING WORLD EXHIBIT
From the aquarium to the Field Station, guests of all ages learn about the importance of biodiversity.
In Living World, museum guests set out to explore the natural world, visiting a variety of habitats teeming with distinctive plant and animal species from across the globe. Living World brings the awe-inspiring interconnectedness of our planet to even the tiniest of fingertips.
3D SCIENCE THEATER
An innovative space for museum programming or private events.
Discovery Theatre is a state-of-the-art space boasting cutting-edge audio/visual technology, ensuring an extraordinary experience. It is an ideal setting for captivating presentations, engaging speakers, and dynamic discussion panels.
SUPPORT FACILITIES AND RETAIL STORE
A refreshed and revitalized facility with new dreams of what is possible.
The renovation incorporates consolidated support facilities for ticketing, administrative offices and a gift shop—complete with a retail presence on the highly trafficked downtown street the museum is located on.
Results
Following an 18-month renovation, Discovery Place Science Museum welcomed visitors to a reimagined museum with new interactive exhibitions and state-of-the-art labs to engage children, adults and families in real-world science, nature and design problem-solving.
