Copernicus Science Centre
Encyclopedia
Copernicus Science Centre (Polish: Centrum Nauki Kopernik) is a science museum
standing on the bank of the Vistula River in Warsaw
. It contains over 450 interactive exhibits that enable visitors to single-handedly carry out experiments and discover the laws of science for themselves. The Centre is the largest institution of its type in Poland
and one of the most advanced in Europe
.
The first module of the Centre building was opened on 5 November 2010 with five galleries (On the move, Humans and the environment, Roots of civilization, Lightzone, Bzzz!); the exhibit for teenagers – RE: generation was opened 3 March 2011; a planetarium The Heavens of Copernicus opened on 19 June, the Discovery Park on 15 July, chemistry laboratory - 18 October; to physics lab, biology lab and robotics workshop Copernicus invites visitors in November and December 2011.
Since 2008, the Copernicus Science Centre together with Polish Radio has organized the Science Picnic
- Europe's largest outdoor science-popularization event.
In 2011 the Centre hosted the ECSITE conference (European Network of Science Centres and Museums) – one of the most important events in the field of science centres and museums in the world.
(the corner of Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie and Zajęcza streets, above the Wisłostrada tunnel). The building design was developed by young Polish architects from the firm RAr-2 in Ruda Śląska, who won an architectural competition for the Copernicus Science Centre facility in December 2005, with engineers Buro Happold
.
The Centre complex comprises:
The shows are displayed on a spherical screen surrounding the audience on all sides. Thanks to this solution, the audience experiences a feeling of immersion in the displayed world, which is strengthened by the high quality sound system deployed around the dome.
Science Picnic
in June 2006, where more than 10,000 individuals visited it in a single day. Since September 2006, it has been traveling around large cities and small towns to give their residents an opportunity to try out the hands-on experiments on their own.
The Copernicus Science Centre also organizes Family Workshops, where children (5–8 years old) together with their parents or carers can carry out experiments to help them better understand everyday phenomena (e.g. where does the current in electrical outlets come from, how does a TV set work or why does yeast make dough rise). The children can easily repeat the experiments themselves at home.
The Centre takes part in various events popularizing science: the Summer and Winter in the City events, Science Festivals and the Summer with Radio event. For teachers, the Copernicus Science Centre organizes trainings and competitions.
.
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
standing on the bank of the Vistula River in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. It contains over 450 interactive exhibits that enable visitors to single-handedly carry out experiments and discover the laws of science for themselves. The Centre is the largest institution of its type in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and one of the most advanced in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The first module of the Centre building was opened on 5 November 2010 with five galleries (On the move, Humans and the environment, Roots of civilization, Lightzone, Bzzz!); the exhibit for teenagers – RE: generation was opened 3 March 2011; a planetarium The Heavens of Copernicus opened on 19 June, the Discovery Park on 15 July, chemistry laboratory - 18 October; to physics lab, biology lab and robotics workshop Copernicus invites visitors in November and December 2011.
Since 2008, the Copernicus Science Centre together with Polish Radio has organized the Science Picnic
Science Picnic
The Science Picnic is Europe's largest outdoor science-popularization event organized jointly by Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre. It has been held every year since 1997 in Warsaw's New Town Square and Podzamcze area, since 2010 in Marszałek Rydz-Śmigły Square...
- Europe's largest outdoor science-popularization event.
In 2011 the Centre hosted the ECSITE conference (European Network of Science Centres and Museums) – one of the most important events in the field of science centres and museums in the world.
History
- Early 2004 - Lech KaczyńskiLech KaczynskiLech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
- Mayor of Warsaw, appoints the Science Centre Team, tasked with launching work on the project - June 2005 - An Agreement on Establishing the Copernicus Science Centre
- December 2005 - An international architectural competition for the design of the Centre building is won by the RAr-2 architectural design firm in Ruda ŚląskaRuda SlaskaRuda Śląska is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a district in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of 2 million. It is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river ....
- June 2006 - The travelling exhibition entitled Experiment! makes its début
- November 2006 - Tender contract awarded for the design and realization of two galleries of the permanent exhibitions: On the Move and Humans and the Environment
- December 2007 – Tender contract awarded for the design and realization of permanent exhibition: Roots of Civilization
- July 2008 - signing the agreement for realization of the Copernicus Science Centre building with the winner of the tender – Warbud S.A. The beginning of the construction
- October 2008 – Tender contract awarded for the design and realization of part of the permanent exhibition: LightZone
- November 2008 – Tender contract awarded for the design and realization of permanent exhibition: Youth Gallery
- 5 November of 2010 - The first building module and most of the permanent exhibitions opened to the public
- 6 December of 2010 - The Robotic Theatre premiere
- 31 January of 2011 - The Planetarium gets a name (Heavens of Copernicus) and a logo
- 3 March of 2011 - The premiere of the RE: generation (gallery for the young people)
- 19 June of 2011 - The premiere of the planetarium The Heavens of Copernicus
- 15 July of 2011 - The Discovery Park premiere
Building
The Copernicus Science Centre building has been erected on the bank of the Vistula River in the very heart of WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(the corner of Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie and Zajęcza streets, above the Wisłostrada tunnel). The building design was developed by young Polish architects from the firm RAr-2 in Ruda Śląska, who won an architectural competition for the Copernicus Science Centre facility in December 2005, with engineers Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
.
The Centre complex comprises:
- a two-story building with total floor-space of 15,000 square meters housing permanent and temporary exhibitions, laboratories and workshops, a conference centre, cafes and restaurants, plus office space and a distinctive rooftop garden
- a garage and a workshop on a subterranean level
- a multimedia planetarium housed within an intriguing boulder-shaped building, including an observation deck
- a surrounding Discovery Park, including open-air experimentation stations, an outdoor art gallery, and an amphitheatre.
Permanent Exhibition
Permanent Exhibition in the Copernicus Science Centre consists of over 400 interactive exhibits. The exhibition is divided into six sections concerning various fields of knowledge:- 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
The Heavens of Copernicus is a modern planetarium where you can see more than just images of the starry sky and related films. The shows concern a variety of popular science issues, including from the field of astronomy, natural science and ethnography.The shows are displayed on a spherical screen surrounding the audience on all sides. Thanks to this solution, the audience experiences a feeling of immersion in the displayed world, which is strengthened by the high quality sound system deployed around the dome.
The Experiment! Exhibition and other activities of the Centre
Experiment! is the first exhibition to be organized by the Copernicus Science Centre. It made its premiere appearance at the WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
Science Picnic
Science Picnic
The Science Picnic is Europe's largest outdoor science-popularization event organized jointly by Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre. It has been held every year since 1997 in Warsaw's New Town Square and Podzamcze area, since 2010 in Marszałek Rydz-Śmigły Square...
in June 2006, where more than 10,000 individuals visited it in a single day. Since September 2006, it has been traveling around large cities and small towns to give their residents an opportunity to try out the hands-on experiments on their own.
The Copernicus Science Centre also organizes Family Workshops, where children (5–8 years old) together with their parents or carers can carry out experiments to help them better understand everyday phenomena (e.g. where does the current in electrical outlets come from, how does a TV set work or why does yeast make dough rise). The children can easily repeat the experiments themselves at home.
The Centre takes part in various events popularizing science: the Summer and Winter in the City events, Science Festivals and the Summer with Radio event. For teachers, the Copernicus Science Centre organizes trainings and competitions.
Form of organization
The Copernicus Science Centre is a cultural institution established and financed by the City of Warsaw, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, and the Minister of National EducationMinister of National Education
Minister of National Education can refer to:* Minister of National Education * Minister of National Education * Minister of National Education * Minister of National Education...
.