The exhibit designer of the newly-opened Clinton Presidential Center will create the exhibits for the upcoming UA Science Center, which will include Flandrau Science Center as part of the Rio Nuevo downtown revitalization project.

Debra Colodner, associate director of the Flandrau Science Center, said Ralph Appelbaum was chosen for his "critical acclaim" in addition to his "grand vision" of building the UA Science Center along a bridge over Interstate 10 and the Santa Cruz River.

"It revolutionized everybody's way of thinking," Colodner said.

Earlier this semester, the UA announced that internationally renowned architect Rafael Viñoly, whose design was the runner-up in the World Trade Center memorial contest, will design a rainbow arch above the UA Science Center, which would support the bridge with cables.

Colodner said with Viñoly working on the outside and Appelbaum developing the inside, the UA Science Center is a creative collaboration between two great visionaries.

"They are not in conflict with each other," Colodner said. "They complement each other."

In designing the UA Science Center, Colodner said Appelbaum's firm is creating stages where science learning can occur through interaction with people, along with physical and digital exhibits.

Exhibits include a butterfly garden, a medical research center and a Unispherium for digital exploration from the inside of a cell to the outskirts of the universe.

"Although Appelbaum did initially come up with the concept of the bridge and he often strongly influenced the architecture of museums and centers around the world, his genius is what he is able to accomplish inside of these structures," said Alexis Faust, executive director of Flandrau.

The Clinton Presidential Center and Park, which opened Nov. 18, is located on the banks of the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Ark., and houses the largest archival collection in presidential history, according to the Center's official Web site.

Exhibits in the library, which were designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, include alcoves depicting milestones in the Clinton presidency, such as the economic boom and Monica Lewinsky scandal. In addition, the 20,000-square-foot structure features a timeline of world events between 1993 and 2001, a full-scale replica of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, and exhibits that detail life in the White House.

Besides working on the Clinton library, Appelbaum Associates has also designed exhibits at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

"He is able to create experiences that profoundly impact people's lives that, in many cases, change people forever," Faust said.

The UA Science Center is part of the $360 million Rio Nuevo downtown revitalization project, intended to expand and strengthen downtown Tucson. Construction on the center is expected to begin in 2006.

During his State of the University speech last week, UA President Peter Likins called the UA Science Center the most dramatic architectural and cultural statement in the Rio Nuevo redevelopment project.

"The cultural bridge established between the university and its city may, however, be the most significant aspect of this project in the long term," Likins said.

Randy Emerson, director of development for Rio Nuevo said the Rio Nuevo project will link the UA to the City of Tucson by attracting people downtown to the civic plaza and UA Science Center.

"He (Likins) realizes that in order to have a great university, it needs to be located in a great city, and all great cities have a vibrant downtown," Emerson said.

Colodner said the university collaborating with the city has the potential to not only increase understanding of science in the community, but also help revitalize downtown Tucson and raise its visibility nationally.

"I see the energy created when Mayor Walkup and Dr. Likins are in the room together," Emerson said. "There is a very strong commitment on both sides."