The California Academy of Sciences is a world-class scientific and cultural institution based
in San Francisco. In 2008 a new 400,000 square foot structure was built to house an aquarium,
a planetarium a natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.
Chris Warnock was part of the team from C I N N A B A R involved in creating the exhibits for this
new facility. He was heavily involved in developing design models depicting the space and the many new
exhibits in development. He was also involved in the fabrication and installation of numerous elements.
Among Warnock’s most significant contributions was developing the Early Childhood Education Center.
Working with the Lead Designer and Academy Curators, Chris designed all the murals surrounding the space.
He also helped develop the play spaces, ensuring they met Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
With his long experience in specialty prop-making, Chris was responsible for much of the actual
hands-on fabrication of many exhibit elements. Special attention was paid to developing the design to
satisfy safety, durability, and maintenance concerns while retaining the overall design style.