Housed within a concrete cylinder at the heart of the Bell Museum’s new facility on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus sits the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium. The theater will offer projection capabilities that go beyond astronomy. Future content will include presentation of scientific research across disciplines, such as a look deep inside the human brain, an outdoor terrace for observation, events and private rentals.
The theater includes audio-visual systems designed by Sciss, an international planetarium developer and includes 4 Bag End IPD12E-I subwoofers installed on the front wall with a custom grille covering. This is not the first planetarium where Bag End Bass has been employed. In fact the Hayden Planetarium in New York, one of the first Bag End planetarium installations was also an early project of Sciss.
Digital planetariums are also no longer limited to astronomy and space science. The Bell Museum intends to pair its technology with the latest data from University of Minnesota researchers to produce data visualizations that span the arts and sciences—taking audiences from the far reaches of the universe to deep inside the human brain. The space will also be available for private rentals and events starting in summer 2018, including weddings under the stars.
Sciss confirms that the Bell’s technology places it among the top national planetarium presenters.
Bag End manufactures a full line of passive and self powered loudspeaker systems and both analog and digital system processors.
Some of Bag End’s installations include:
— Hamilton – Broadway musical in New York, Chicago and the UK’s newly renovated Victoria Palace Theater.
— Primorsky Oceanarium – Vladivostok, Russia on Russky Island.
— Smithsonians Museum of African American History and Culture – The 400,000-square-foot building includes exhibition space, a theater and café, staff offices and an education center.
— West Elm – Many Pottery Barn, West Elm and Erehwon retail environments.
