Project Update: Russell C. Davis Planetarium
David Lewis, deputy director of the Jackson Department of Human and Cultural Services, Mike Williams, managing director of the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, and CDFL architect Chris Myers recently took a research trip to Orlando. Chris shares about their trip below.
David and Mike had previously visited Kennedy Space Center and were inspired by the recently open Heroes & Legends exhibit, which focuses on the history of astronauts at NASA. The designers for that exhibit, Falcon's Creative Group, seemed like an obvious choice to assist in visioning and designing the new planetarium experience in Jackson.
The trip's primary focus was a kick-off meeting with Falcon at their home office in Orlando; however, we couldn't miss out on some of the many attractions in the area. Disney World is obviously known for immersive experiences. Our tour included everything from Hollywood Studios' Star Wars Galaxy's Edge to EPCOT's Spaceship Earth to Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland. We wanted to pick and choose successful moments and ideas that have and have not stood up to the test of time.
Kennedy Space Center was a surprise for me. Led by the facility's chief operating officer, we were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire campus. He has led the space center in its recent transition to more experiential design. After all, they do have heavy competition nearby that they had previously struggled to keep up with. He was able to provide a great deal of insight on what works and what doesn't.
We have many ideas to unpack from the short trip, but with our creative partners, we know we can make Jackson's planetarium a facility for the city to be proud of. David and Mike are dreaming big, and luckily, we have leadership in the city that sees the value of creativity. CDFL is excited to be a part of this project, and we can't wait to show you what we have come up with!
Here are a few inspiration pictures from our trip.
