The Coolest Green Roof Ever

I've been intrigued by the California Academy of Sciences building ever since I saw it under construction in Golden Gate Park a year and a half ago. I watched from the tower of the new DeYoung Museum as the workmen put the finishing touches on this most unusual building, and vowed to get back to see it. Imagine my surprise to see it turn up in Dwell magazine, the portholes in its roof looking like clear soap bubbles popping up in the middle of a meadow. So last week I finally made it back to San Francisco to see the new building, which is a model of innovative sustainability.

Designed by Renzo Piano, the building took ten years and $500 million dollars to complete....it houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum (my least favorite part - how many dead stuffed animals does it take to be too many??), and a four-story rain forest. You can walk onto a deck next to the green roof, which is an undulating meadow of California native plants covering two and a half acres in the sky. 

The green roof's pop-up windows are slightly martian-like

I've never seen such a beautifully contoured green roof before, let alone one with portholes...

Here's how the green roof looks from the inside

Ever wonder how they keep aquarium glass clean?

The rainforest is an extravaganza of tropical foliage and free-flying butterflies