Discovery Channel Destination

Even in a town as rich in museums as Washington, D.C., the new Discovery Channel flagship could almost pass itself off as one. One of the newest entries in the “edutainment” retail genre, the store encompasses four levels and 30,000 square feet of exhibits, museum-like spaces — and oh, there's merchandise, too.

The store is owned by Discovery Channel Inc. (DCI), which purchased the Dallas-based chain called Discovery about three years ago, about the same time it began planning a flagship store for its network. In May 1996, Discovery bought The Nature Company and plans to converts its 124 stores into mini-versions of the flagship.

The cable network-turned-retailer draws on the Discovery Channel's programming resources for both product and display, using a “storytelling” approach to the selling spaces. Levels are highly themed: PaleoWorld, Ocean Planet, Wild Discovery World Cultures, Sky & Space Science Frontiers and the Discovery Channel Theater. Museum-like display pieces such as a 40-ft. cast of a T-Rex dinosaur are interspersed with interactive kiosks and games, themed merchandise and special effects.

Photography by Maxwell Mackenzie, Washington, D.C.

Design Team: Pompei A.D., New York City Architecture: Gensler, Washington, D.C. (architect of record); Gensler, Los Angeles (fourth-floor theater)

General Contractor: Hitt Contracting Inc., Washington, D.C.

Engineers: Robert Theobald Consultants, Washington, D.C. (structural); Tolk Inc., Washington, D.C. (MEP)

Construction Manager: Mark G. Anderson Consulting, Washington, D.C. (and owner's representative)

Audio/Video: Tim Newman, Los Angeles (video wall/audio producer); Innovative Design Technologies, Burbank, Calif.; Tim Newman, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Biome audio track, rotunda a/v production)

Ceilings: Mary Boone Wellington Studio, Amherst, N.H. (foliage ceiling); Russel Norton Buchanan, Architect, Dallas (airplane wing ceiling)

Fixturing: IDA Intl. Inc., Derby, Conn., Robert Harbinson, consultant and project manager (wooden animals); Ontario Store Fixture, Weston, Ont. (metal and wood fixtures); , Lafayette, Colo. (cashwrap)

Flooring: Andrew Nofsinger, New York City (mosaic tile floor); Kaswell Flooring System, Framingham, Mass. (endgrain wood floor); McNichols, Tampa, Fla. (tread grip and steel diamond floor); David Allen Contractors, Manassas, Va. (concrete/epoxy, ceramic tile and terrazzo floor); Edelman Metalworks, Danbury, Conn. (metal floor)

Graphics: Discovery Design Group, Bethesda, Calif. (design)

Lighting: Illuminating Concepts, Ron Harwood, Farmington Hills, Mich. (lighting design)

Millwork: Design Fabricators Inc., Lafayette, Colo.; Architectural Millwork, Silver Spring, Md. (office millwork)

Plaster Finishes: Fresco Decorative Painting Inc., New York City Signage: Signal Sign, Livingstone, N.J. (Discovery Channel sign) Wall Coverings: Mary Boone Wellington Studio, Amherst, N.H. (Science Frontiers walls); Carol Bruns, metal artist, Brooklyn, N.Y. (metal panel wall) Visual display: Eric Warner Studio, New York City