Copernicus Science Centre
Poland
As the largest institution of its kind in Poland and one of the most advanced in Europe, it has attracted over 8 million visitors since its opening in 2010.
The Centre's building was constructed in multiple stages. The first module opened on November 5, 2010, and included five galleries: On the Move, Humans and the Environment, Roots of Civilization, Lightzone, and Bzzz!. RE:generation, an exhibit for teenagers, opened on March 3, 2011, and was followed by the planetarium The Heavens of Copernicus on June 19, the Discovery Park on July 15, the chemistry laboratory on October 18, the biology laboratory on November 15, the robotics workshop on December 6, and the physics laboratory on December 20.
Since 2008, the Copernicus Science Centre has co-organized the Science Picnic with Polish Radio, which is Europe's largest outdoor science popularization event. In 2011, the Centre hosted the ECSITE conference, one of the most significant events in the world for science centres and museums.
History
In early 2004, Lech Kaczyński, who was then the Mayor of Warsaw, formed a Science Centre Team to begin working on a new project. In June 2005, an agreement was signed to establish the Copernicus Science Centre. Later that year, an international architectural competition was held to design the Centre building, and the winning design was created by the RAr-2 architectural design firm in Ruda Śląska.
In June 2006, the Centre's first travelling exhibition, called Experiment!, made its debut. By November 2006, the contracts for designing and creating two galleries for the permanent exhibitions, called On the Move and Humans and the Environment, had been awarded. The contract for designing and creating the permanent exhibition called Roots of Civilization was awarded in December 2007.
In July 2008, the contract for constructing the Copernicus Science Centre building was signed with the winner of the tender, Warbud S.A., and construction began. Over the next several years, more contracts were awarded for designing and creating additional parts of the permanent exhibition, including LightZone, the Youth Gallery, and the Robotic Theatre.
On November 5, 2010, the first building module and most of the permanent exhibitions were opened to the public. Over the next few months, other areas of the Centre were opened, including the Heavens of Copernicus planetarium, the RE: generation gallery for young people, the Discovery Park, the chemistry laboratory, the biology laboratory, and the robotics workshop. The physics laboratory premiered on December 20, 2011.
The Copernicus Science Centre has continued to grow and attract visitors, with 75 million visitors recorded by November 28, 2017.
Building
The Centre complex is made up of several components, including a two-story building with a total floor area of 15,000 square meters. The building serves as a space for permanent and temporary exhibitions, laboratories and workshops, a conference center, cafes and restaurants, office space, and a unique rooftop garden. Additionally, there is an underground garage and workshop.
One of the most unique aspects of the Centre is the multimedia planetarium, which is housed in a distinctive boulder-shaped building and includes an observation deck. Visitors can enjoy various multimedia displays and educational programs in the planetarium.
Finally, there is a surrounding Discovery Park, featuring outdoor experimentation stations, an outdoor art gallery, and an amphitheater. This provides visitors with the opportunity to explore the intersection of science, art, and nature in an engaging and interactive way.
Exhibition
The Copernicus Science Centre's permanent exhibition features 400+ interactive exhibits divided into six sections:
- On the Move
- Humans and the Environment
- Buzzz! - gallery for preschool children
- Lightzone
- Roots of Civilization
- RE: generation - gallery for young adults
Planetarium
The Heavens of Copernicus is a contemporary planetarium that offers visitors an immersive experience beyond just viewing images of the night sky and watching films. The planetarium provides a range of shows that cover various topics in popular science, such as astronomy, natural science, and ethnography.
The planetarium presents these shows on a unique spherical screen that encircles the audience from all directions. This innovative approach creates an immersive environment that makes visitors feel as though they are part of the content being presented. Furthermore, the planetarium utilizes a high-quality sound system that enhances the overall experience by creating a realistic audio atmosphere.