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Science Center's Iconic Letters Removed As Construction Progresses

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - One by one, crews began removing each letter from the massive Carnegie Science Center sign.

It has stood on top of the drum that houses the Omnimax theater since 2000.

"It's a little bit sad for all of us here at the Science Center. We're more than excited about what's gonna follow this month with our new science pavilion that's being built," Co-Director of the Carnegie Science Center Ann Metzger said.

The new foundation is ready to be laid, and the steel framing of the science pavilion is the next phase of construction. New letters and a new lighting package will replace the old letters when the building is closer to completion. The new sign will wrap around the theater's drum.

"We'll have a new set of classrooms for science learning. We'll have a new traveling exhibitions gallery and a top level conference and events space with the most extraordinary view of the city," Metzger said.

A staircase will also be removed and a new one will replace it. This project is part of a $34.5 million campaign the Science Center has conducted over the past two years.

A ground booming took place with the help of liquid nitrogen to kick-start this project.

"We've had a number of new exhibits over the past year. We're also going to be re-doing our Omnimax theater over the next year. All of this is part of our Spark campaign to update the Science Center and move it into the 21st century," Metzger said.

The Science Center will be open to the public throughout construction. The science pavilion is scheduled to open up in the summer of 2018.

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