A hemispheric dome, clad in more than 1,500 RHEINZINK-prePATINA® graphite-grey flat-lock tiles, prominently crowns the new planetarium's roof at Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Museum of Science and Curiosity (MoSaC, pronounced "moe-sack"). The project is anticipated to open Nov. 13, 2021. In September, it was honored with a 2021 Best Real Estate Projects of the Year award by the Sacramento Business Journal.
MoSaC's new facility is set on approximately 5.38 acres overlooking the Robert T. Matsui Waterfront Park. Demonstrating its commitment to natural and built environments, the museum is pursuing LEED Gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy-efficient, sustainable design and construction.
Conceived and realized by the Sacramento-based team of Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture (D+B) and Otto Construction, the iconic design/build project reimagines a historic riverfront power station as a hub for science education, exploration and advancement in the Sacramento region.
Part of a redevelopment plan in downtown Sacramento, the $83 million museum is housed within the 30,000-square-foot structure of a 1912 power station. A Landmark building listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the Pacific Gas & Electric Company's Power Station B has remained vacant since it was decommissioned in 1954. At one time, it was the largest power plant north of San Francisco.
Fully renovated and expanded, MoSaC allows ample space for STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and math – programming and exhibits. The new two-story, 22,000-square-foot addition contains the museum's classrooms, offices, a café and the 120-seat planetarium.