How to Transform a Space to Leave a Legacy
How to Transform a Space to Leave a Legacy
January 12, 2019 by Taylor Studios
in Georgia was the site of a decades old exhibit that was cherished by the locals. Telling the story of the War of Georgia, the exhibit featured a giant topographical map sunk into the floor that visitors could circle from above for a 360 degree experience. While the exhibit engaged map lovers, there were not many other visual points of engagement – walls were barren, color was absent, and lighting was not used to enhance the experience.
The giant topographical map sunk into the floor, walls were barren, and lighting was dim.
TSI knew that this space had the potential to be engaging and eye-catching.
Although local visitors seemed reluctant to see the exhibit go, the sought new goals with a bigger vision. They wanted to expand the story by adding content for visitors who planned to climb Stone Mountain, outdoor science education programs for all, and a focus on the natural history of the area. The education staff also wanted their exhibits to meet the Georgia State Learning Standards as school-age children are a mainstay of their visitor group.
The start of construction to begin building the new exhibit.
In 2002, the SMMA engaged Taylor Studios to collaborate on a design/build project to transform the existing space. Initially, SMMA and their architect planned to remove the sunken map and fill in the space to give us a clean slate. That sounded expensive, and maybe unnecessary! We asked them to pause and allow our team to brainstorm first – could we use the existing “hole” and eliminate an added expense for our client? As it turns out, we could! Visitors now enter the exhibit by descending into a theater that takes them back in time and into the earth itself for an immersive experience that includes the formation of Stone Mountain.
A conceptual floor plan showcases the design that TSI,
the architect, and SMMA came up with.
What was the old “hole” that housed the topographic map, is now a theater
where visitors learn about the formation of Stone Mountain.
After a year of design collaboration with SMMA and their architect, we moved to the fabrication phase – bringing the experience to life! Our artists were challenged with fabricating a durable, larger than life sculpture showing the three major mineral elements of the mountain. A portion of translucent rock was tricky to pull off but we did it and the spot became an instant photo op! Another challenge – seeing a cricket sitting on granite. A granite backdrop can easily camouflage the creature. Could a new technology called ‘smart glass’ help us? Smart glass is a product that can instantly switch from dark to light, the perfect medium for revealing a hidden cricket. Although the smart glass vendor was confused by our application, we were able to make the cricket instantly visible with the touch of a button. Not to leave old technology behind, polar motion (a sign lighting technique often used in beer signs) was the perfect solution to realistically portray plate tectonics. To teach how trees can grow in a harsh and rocky environment, the exhibit includes a fabricated tree. Or is it fabricated? During an exhibit walk through with , our fabrication team was told that the exhibit could not include a real tree for safety reasons. Ha! Fooled the fire marshal! A win for all involved!
We used polar motion to help us realistically portray plate tectonics.
The fabricated tree that fooled the fire marshal.
The “tricky” translucent rock became a great photo-op!
was opened to the public in 2004 and still looks awesome today. Check out the before and after photos to see the powerful transformation. Powerful transformation doesn’t happen overnight; it took two years of brainstorming, designing, creating, fabricating and installing to be ready for the first visitor. It’s a big investment of time, money and creativity, and it’s important to assemble the best team possible to bring your vision to life. Don’t settle; seek out the to help tell your unforgettable story that can be a legacy for years to come.
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We only love what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” ~ Baba Dioum