Techniquest
Encyclopedia
Techniquest is a Welsh
science and discovery centre. It has locations in Cardiff Bay
, Glyndŵr University (formerly known as NEWI) in Wrexham
, Llanberis
in Gwynedd
, and the Adventure Center in Narberth, Pembrokeshire
.
Techniquest was first established in Cardiff in 1986. Techniquest gives visitors a hands-on approach to science and includes a science theatre, a planetarium
, and a discovery centre.
showroom on the corner of Duke Street and St John Street. There were 48 exhibits at that time, many of them were designed and built by Techniquest. The old showroom was only used as temporary accommodation to house the centre for a couple of months. Less than seven weeks after it had opened Techniquest had welcomed its ten thousandth visitor.
In 1987 they moved to another temporary building opposite the now demolished Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum in Bute Street. The two buildings were removed to make way for Mermaid Quay
.
They moved again in 1995 about 100 metres along Stuart Street to its present location on the site of a former engineering workshop which is now its permanent headquarters. The building opened on 2 May 1995. It uses the steel framework of the original building which can be clearly seen on the photograph, with the gray steel girders.
Techniquest takes exhibitions and programmes to special events at many venues around Wales, from shopping malls to major cultural events such as the National Eisteddfod. It also offer comprehensive education services for schools, plus further activities through schemes such as Wales Gene Park, mathcymru, Science Café Wales and Teacher Science Network.
To provide this range of experiences, Techniquest maintains an active design and development arm, with excellent workshops and facilities. It also work with a range of partners and other experts, which include academics, scientists, industry and government, both within Wales and internationally.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
science and discovery centre. It has locations in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
, Glyndŵr University (formerly known as NEWI) in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, and the Adventure Center in Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Narberth is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. . It was founded around a Welsh court, but later became a Norman stronghold on the Landsker Line. It became the headquarters of the hundred of Narberth. It was once a marcher borough...
.
Techniquest was first established in Cardiff in 1986. Techniquest gives visitors a hands-on approach to science and includes a science theatre, a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
, and a discovery centre.
History of the Cardiff site
Techniquest first opened on 13 November 1986 on the site of the old British GasBritish Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
showroom on the corner of Duke Street and St John Street. There were 48 exhibits at that time, many of them were designed and built by Techniquest. The old showroom was only used as temporary accommodation to house the centre for a couple of months. Less than seven weeks after it had opened Techniquest had welcomed its ten thousandth visitor.
In 1987 they moved to another temporary building opposite the now demolished Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum in Bute Street. The two buildings were removed to make way for Mermaid Quay
Mermaid Quay
Mermaid Quay is a waterfront shopping and leisure district in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. The 14,000 sq m development was opened in 1999, and includes restaurants, bars, cafes and shops.- Eating & Drinking at Mermaid Quay :...
.
They moved again in 1995 about 100 metres along Stuart Street to its present location on the site of a former engineering workshop which is now its permanent headquarters. The building opened on 2 May 1995. It uses the steel framework of the original building which can be clearly seen on the photograph, with the gray steel girders.
Activities
Its aims are to engage people with science and to motivate them to learn more and they also address science-related areas such as maths, engineering and technology. Techniquest operates exhibitions, shows and programmes intended to make science accessible to people throughout Wales, and to improve the quality of public debate about science and technology.Techniquest takes exhibitions and programmes to special events at many venues around Wales, from shopping malls to major cultural events such as the National Eisteddfod. It also offer comprehensive education services for schools, plus further activities through schemes such as Wales Gene Park, mathcymru, Science Café Wales and Teacher Science Network.
To provide this range of experiences, Techniquest maintains an active design and development arm, with excellent workshops and facilities. It also work with a range of partners and other experts, which include academics, scientists, industry and government, both within Wales and internationally.