The Heat Theater

TL;DR

The Field Museum's Heat Theater is an immersive exhibit that explores stories about heat and organisms thriving in extreme temperatures.

Transcript

Hey! So we're with John Zehren here, up in the— what is it? The "Rep Shop?" - The Production Shop.

• The Production Shop! And— - Call it whatever you want.
• So, what do you do here? - I make stuff.
• You make stuff. - Yeah, I do. It's never the same thing twice.
• That's a pretty broad...Really. - I think the coolest thing I've ever done is I ge... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥵 The Heat Theater at The Field Museum is a traveling exhibit that explores stories about heat and organisms surviving in extreme temperatures.
• 🔉 The creation of the Heat Theater involves a collaborative effort from various professionals, including welders, exhibition developers, designers, and media producers.
• 😅 The design of the Heat Theater emphasizes immersion and evoking the sensations of hot and cold environments.
• 🎮 The Media Department plays a crucial role in enhancing the visitor experience through the creation of videos and other media content.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is John Zehren's role in creating exhibits at The Field Museum?

John Zehren is a welder at The Field Museum who helps build various exhibits, including the Heat Theater. He works on constructing structures and solving design problems.

Q: How did the idea for the Heat Theater come about?

Marie Georg, the Exhibition Project Developer, explains that brainstorm sessions with scientists led to the idea of combining multiple heat-related stories into one immersive exhibit. The goal was to make sense of these stories by showcasing the environments in which they occur.

Q: What is unique about the design of the Heat Theater?

Nivine Tawancy, the Assistant Exhibitions Designer, came up with the overall design of the Heat Theater. She used software like Rhino and Grasshopper to create a 3D model, which evolved from curved shapes to a flatter Voronoi pattern. The aim was to create an immersive experience that makes visitors feel hot and cold.

Q: How does the Media Department contribute to the Heat Theater?

Greg Mercer, the Interactive Media Producer, and his team are responsible for creating videos and other media content for the exhibit. They film specific locations and animal behaviors to provide an authentic and immersive experience for visitors.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Zehren, a welder at The Field Museum, works on building various exhibits, including the Heat Theater which is designed for traveling exhibitions.

• Marie Georg, the Exhibition Project Developer, explains that the Heat Theater was created to showcase stories about heat and organisms surviving in hot and cold environments.

• Nivine Tawancy, the Assistant Exhibitions Designer, discusses her process of designing the immersive Heat Theater and how the idea evolved from hexagonal shapes to a Voronoi pattern.