Exploration Station – IrelandÂ’s National Centre for Science and Discovery

Well the director, hired from outside, recently left and has been replaced by, I think, a civil servant: who knows why, not me, but that doesn’t sound good. A huge huge waste if this project is seriously delayed, science museums are such a good attraction, so popular and so useful and this was looking like it was going to be a very good science museum.

what’s holding up the project?
I know the OPW were co-owners with Eircom of the Heuston Gate site and the development deal was to leave them with the Science Museum as well as some exhibition space for IMMA.

Seems Eircom have got their new shiney headquarters and the developer has got the Burj Atha Cliath and lots of apartment buildings.

How come the taxpayer/ OPW are missing out? And there is now the possability the empty hole that is left will not be developed anytime soon and the millions already spent on this project will be wasted!

I think there ought to be some explination from the OPW and government on what the status is, its getting embarassing.
We might need NAMA to sort this out! What a mess!

(Graham H can you enlighten us?)

the science gallery is doing well, although dont know what there finances are like

The Science Gallery has a different target audience; teens and above, and is doing extremely well, 90k visitors in the first year, almost twice the target and a huge number in my view. They have good sponsorship support and a number of grants, including modest Marie Curie money from the EU and an impressive award from Wellcome. They do have a big staff though, it must be expensive: however as far as I know they are more or less self-supporting, except that the college doesn’t charge them rent.

Is there a charge to get in notjim, and do you have to be buzzed in the door? It never looks very inviting unfortunately…

(oh, and not a notion ac1976)

There is a button to open the door: it isn’t a buzzer, it just opens the door, I think they intended, and originally had, a sensor to open the door but because so many people walk past it leaving and entering tcd, they had to change to the current, unsatisfactory, situation. The reception desks look a bit confrontational too, I have to say. It is free in and some of the exhibitions are worth seeing. The cafe is good too, if pricey, a nice place to work for a while on your laptop.

I found this on the Digital Hub website, says it’s opening in 2011, and sounds very exciting. I hope it doesn’t get the snip!

Exploration Station: Ireland’s National Centre for Science and Discovery will be the Republic of Ireland’s first interactive science centre. When it opens in 2011 Exploration Station will be dedicated to providing children, young adults, their teachers and families with novel ways of exploring the world of science and innovation. The design of the centre and its exhibits has drawn on the best international expertise to develop what will be a world-class facility.

Interactivity, the fusion of science and art, and inclusion of all young people is at the very heart of the Exploration Station concept. It will have seven permanent exhibition zones which will occupy half of the 6,600 sq metres, with flexible programme spaces built into each. Each zone will be individually staffed and have a workshop area where visitors will experiment, explore, build, create, collaborate and discover in the context of the exhibit themes.

Over the first five years, an estimated 650,000 children and adults are expected to visit the purpose-built facility which will be located adjacent to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Heuston Station. A team of architects led by Ciaran O’Connor, assistant principal architect, OPW, has designed the facility, which promises to be an important visitor attraction in addition to being a significant educational resource. Planning for the exhibitions and programmes is well underway with museum and exhibition planning company, Gyroscope Inc in California in consultation with a 35-member National Advisory Committee.

The project is a partnership between the Office of Public Works, the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism and the Exploration Station Board of Trustees.

For more information please contact:
Jane Jerry, Executive Director

Any mockups of the finish product?

@Yixian wrote:

Any mockups of the finish product?

There is a mockup, it seems AIB is the sponsor and who know if the design has changed. I’d love to see more info on this too, I hope it is impressive

http://www.aibgroup.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1141325049405&pagename=CSRPortal/csr_main&c=CSRContent_C

I can’t understand how there is so little information available on this project considering it has a well established board and 35 member National Advisary panel!

@ac1976 wrote:

For more information please contact:
Jane Jerry, Executive Director

though as noted above Jane is no longer the Executive Director.

Isn’t Dublin the european city of science in 2012?

…

*cough* Maybe time to get this thing going.. *cough*

Maybe find a new architect too because that mock up was as bland as I have ever seen a science museum, how about.. oh I dunno.. Hadid? 😉

This project got a mention on Pat Kenny’s Radio show this morning.
The project is described as shovel ready and it’s not clear what’s holding it up as the construction funding was coming from property swaps and all the contracts signed years ago.
Pat wondering if it just need a push from the department? (OPW presumably)

It will be a pity or even a shame not to have this ready for 2012 when Dublin is City of Science!

Found this
http://www.gyroscopeinc.com/explorationStation.html

@LOB wrote:

Found this
http://www.gyroscopeinc.com/explorationStation.html

Look likes it’s going to be as crap as the one in Glasgow, which is basically just a giant creche. Is it really so bizarre to imagine that adults might be interested in science too?

I was trying to find the Exploration Station segment on the Pat Kenny show podcast, which segment was it: was it the bit with that pompous ass Ed Walsh?