The 2013 relocation of San Francisco’s beloved Exploratorium provided GLS with a rare opportunity:
to create an entirely new public space on the city’s waterfront. GLS transformed an asphalt parking
lot between two decrepit piers into a baywater lagoon, 2 acres of open space containing artworks
and supporting infrastructure, and a series of bridges, promenades, and metalwork railings. Given
the extensive seismic upgrade, the landscape scope was aligned with the structural engineering
as much as with the architecture, and included the partial removal of the dock and the seismic
reinforcement (or the partial removal) of the pilings below; giant new concrete pile caps further
reinforce the pier and double as cisterns collecting rainfall used as gray water in the museum’s
bathrooms and exhibits. At key junctures, the railings incorporate seismic joints, with telescoping
hardware (springs, hinges, rollers) accommodating up to 4 feet of tidal or seismic movement. These
features also uphold the museum’s mission of visualizing scientific principles. To satisfy curatorial
needs for adaptable infrastructure, lines for water, data, and power are inconspicuous yet accessible
to exhibition staff, and custom light poles adjust as needed.