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Museum of Science

Boston, MA, USA
Architect
William Rawn Associates

The Public Science Common is a new state-of-the-art venue that will be built within the complex of the Museum of Science, Boston. The building will replace the existing theater in the Museum’s Blue Wing with a
10,000 sq ft flexible venue that can accommodate up to 700 people and offers views of the Charles River through three walls of glass. Designed to support a range of programming, provide event flexibility, and foster connection among the scientific community, the space is configured as one open hall and will serve as the central hub of the Museum’s three new Centers for Public Science Learning—the Center for Life Sciences, the Center for the Environment, and the Center for Space Sciences. The addition is part of ongoing renovations to the Museum to improve accessibility and energy efficiency.
The new Public Science Common Forum Theater is enclosed with a double-skin cavity wall system that adjusts its thermal performance according to weather conditions by either venting heat to the exterior, or closing vents to trap heat. Automated blinds within the cavity track the position of the sun to block direct sunlight and lower solar heating loads. The interior skin of the wall is sloped to improve the acoustics of the theater, and a movable acoustic interior partition can subdivide the theater into two smaller spaces. A dedicated air-handling unit maintains clean, dry conditions within the cavity when the vents are in the closed state.
The project is tracking LEED Gold certification and has a planned completion date in 2026. Front is consulting on the project from design development through construction administration.

Courtesy of William Rawn Associates
Courtesy of William Rawn Associates
Courtesy of William Rawn Associates

The Public Science Common is a new state-of-the-art venue that will be built within the complex of the Museum of Science, Boston. The building will replace the existing theater in the Museum’s Blue Wing with a
10,000 sq ft flexible venue that can accommodate up to 700 people and offers views of the Charles River through three walls of glass. Designed to support a range of programming, provide event flexibility, and foster connection among the scientific community, the space is configured as one open hall and will serve as the central hub of the Museum’s three new Centers for Public Science Learning—the Center for Life Sciences, the Center for the Environment, and the Center for Space Sciences. The addition is part of ongoing renovations to the Museum to improve accessibility and energy efficiency.
The new Public Science Common Forum Theater is enclosed with a double-skin cavity wall system that adjusts its thermal performance according to weather conditions by either venting heat to the exterior, or closing vents to trap heat. Automated blinds within the cavity track the position of the sun to block direct sunlight and lower solar heating loads. The interior skin of the wall is sloped to improve the acoustics of the theater, and a movable acoustic interior partition can subdivide the theater into two smaller spaces. A dedicated air-handling unit maintains clean, dry conditions within the cavity when the vents are in the closed state.
The project is tracking LEED Gold certification and has a planned completion date in 2026. Front is consulting on the project from design development through construction administration.

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