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The New Dome Arrives!

July 16, 2013

The New Dome Arrives!

The work preparing the chamber was completed on July 3, and first thing Monday morning on July 8 after the long 4th of July holiday a crew from Spitz arrived with a truckload of parts for the new projection dome.

The dome consists of a hemispherical aluminum support framework to which about 80 curved NanoSeam screen panels are mounted to create the projection dome's surface.  The shipment included the bare panel material (already painted with a 45% gray powdercoat) and the special work tables used to cut and shape the panels in the right spherical segments. We also received the 5 surround-sound speakers (theater-grade 800 Watt 10-inch two-way loudspeakers) that will be mounted on the framework behind the dome.

Installation of the dome will take a crew of 4 working about 3 weeks to complete.

The first week will be to prepare the work site and assemble the support framework inside the chamber.  

At the start of the second week, the framework will be raised into place (about 7 feet) off the floor, leveled, and anchored into place.

Then the next two weeks will be spent installing each panel of the hemispherical projection screen.  This exacting process to produce a nearly seamless projection surface requires about 1 hour per panel.  It is the hardest and most important part of the job.

The final step is attaching the lighting cove.

By the end of July the room will be ready for painting, carpeting, seating installation, and the arrival of our new SciDome XD projector.

You can follow the renovation progress and see more renovation pictures on our Facebook page.