The planetarium was renovated and upgraded in 1964, but by the turn of the century, advances in digital technology had left it behind. In 2002, the planetarium closed for a comprehensive reinvention from the ground up.

During the renovations, Griffith Observatory selected Cosm company Spitz, Inc. to complete the complex engineering and design work needed to meet the facility’s specifications.

The dome project presented several unique requirements:

• Preservation of the historic copper-over-concrete exterior dome was of paramount concern, so nothing could be suspended from or mounted to it.
• The dome needed to allow for intelligent lighting projection from overhead, while also presenting an uninterrupted projection surface during shows.
• Maintenance access was necessary to lighting, speakers, and other features distributed above the projection dome, again with no support derived from the exterior dome.

These needs had to be met while also providing a superior projection surface to deliver a best-in-class immersive experience and make the most of the theater’s new, state-of-the-art digital projection technology.

Griffith Observatory additionally selected Cosm company Spitz, Inc. to contribute to its upgraded facility due to the superior projection characteristics of our Premium Seam product, which at the time was the most seamless surface available but has since been eclipsed for seamlessness by Spitz’s NanoSeam™.

Our team designed, fabricated, and installed an elaborate series of catwalks and mounts for speakers and other attachments, all supported by the dome’s structural skeleton. For the intelligent lighting, we designed and installed removable portholes operated by linear actuators, which allowed for extremely low clearance between the dome and the lighting units.

The renamed Samuel Oschin Planetarium reopened in 2006 to rave reviews.

The Griffith selected Spitz based on our demonstrated ability to complete the complex engineering and design work necessary to meet their specifications, as well as the superior projection characteristics of our Premium Seam product (at the time, the most seamless surface available; since then eclipsed for seamlessness by Spitz’s NanoSeam™).

We designed, fabricated, and installed an elaborate series of catwalks, as well as mounts for speakers and other attachments, all supported by the dome’s structural skeleton. For the intelligent lighting, we designed and installed removable portholes operated by linear actuators, which allowed for extremely low clearance between the dome and the lighting units.

The newly-renamed Samuel Oschin Planetarium reopened in 2006 to rave reviews.