Science Museum unveils major renovation plan

The Science Museum announced plans this week to undertake a “major renovation and reinvention” with the creation of a “Public Science Common.”

The museum announced the project Tuesday, describing the new commons as a space that will connect the public with the city’s scientific community. Bloomberg Philanthropies is the lead funder of the project, according to the museum.

“The Public Science Common will allow us to lead the world in an exciting new direction to engage the public in science,” Tim Ritchie, president of the Science Museum, said in a statement. “The Public Science Common will provide common ground for all those interested in science and technology. It will be a place where people can bring their ideas, their hopes, their questions and their doubts. It will be a place where industry, academia, government and the public can think out loud and solve problems together.

According to the museum, the new joint center will serve as a hub for three new public science learning centers: the Life Sciences Center, the Environmental Center and the Space Science Center.

The Public Science Common will be used by the centers for “conversations, lectures, idea festivals, student competitions, digital events, and more,” according to the institution.

The space will be built within the museum’s current footprint, replacing the existing Cahners Theater to provide 10,000 square feet for a flexible media venue that can accommodate 700 people and offer 270-degree views of the Charles River.

The museum said that as part of the project, renovations will also be carried out to improve accessibility and contribute to the museum’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.

Construction on the plan is expected to begin this year and the completion date is set for 2026, according to the museum.