Muse. . . comin g soon Spotli 3. ght
1st Feb ru The m ary agazin e of th e new
museu m
27 July 2013, the new Science Museum of Trento
The project
where scientific and technological
value. The building’s outline recalls the
knowledge represents the tools used
profile of the surrounding mountains, with
The MUSE is a dream come true
for studying the relationship between
a finely balanced contrast between empty
man and the environment and at the
and full spaces that adds charm and
same time to route future choices
prestige to the entire exhibition venue.
thanks to the important investment
in sustainable development. The
Built to eco-compatible criteria, MUSE
in culture made by the Autonomous
architectural structure, designed by
is a model that sets the standard for a
Province of Trento. It is an open space
Renzo Piano, is an extraordinary added
green economy and for energy saving.
From the tridentine museum of natural science to MUSE
played by the museum in the research field
However, the increased activity in the
was presented in 1997 with the temporary
branched-out structures, together with
exhibition “The Museum studies the Alps”,
the tendency towards favouring temporary
expressing the new need to communicate
over permanent exhibitions, led to an
with the audience in innovative ways
inevitable crowding of installations,
and with eyes always focused on
exhibitions and visitors.
contemporaneity.
In the early 2000, this situation produced
Thus the museum was no longer a
the need to rethink the space and to
display of findings but rather a live,
change the prospects.
open and dialoguing entity, useful to
This is when the MUSE project for a
society in building an idea and a plan
Science Museum was launched.
of the future. The good work done also
The project began with a “Feasibility study
brought in excellent profits. Space,
for a new science museum in Trentino”,
however, remained cramped also because
carried out by the museum in the period
the Museum’s gradually opened up to
from 2002 to 2003 at the request of the
international artists and scholars.
Cultural Activities department of the
In 2000, the exhibition “The Deluge”
Autonomous Province of Trento; this was
revealed an in-depth change in the
followed in 2005 by the Cultural Plan.
‘museum’ concept, which became a space
These documents were drafted by more
lived in 24 hours a day, that at different
than fifty national and international
hour shifts attracted schools, families
qualified experts and by many citizens,
and researchers. This model, founded on
who all actively contributed to the
interaction, on experimentation and on a
definition of the museum’s contents by
In 1992, the exhibition “Dinosaurs - The
well-designed educational programme,
expressing their wishes and expectations
world of dinosaurs” attracted a large
was a great success with school groups
in various focus groups and debates
audience of over fifty thousand visitors in a
especially.
regarding the project.
period of just two months. This highlighted
The museum then proceeded to lengthen
The cultural plan, approved by the
the assumption that the museum could
its reach by encompassing other regional
Province in 2006, was transformed into
widen its audience and enhance its
sections, namely structures linked to the
an architectural plan created by
science divulgation mission by attracting
Trento headquarters but located elsewhere
the famous architect Renzo Piano,
visitors from outside the province too.
within Trentino, at locations of very high
who designed the building and was
The 90’s confirmed the museum’s
natural and touristic interest. The long
appointed as the art director for the
tendency to produce and host interactive
list of additional structures included the
museum’s interiors. The coherence of the
exhibitions, in the wake of modern science
historical Alpine Botanical Garden of Viote,
architectural design with the museological
centres throughout the world.
the neighbouring Terrace of the Stars, the
contents, and of the building layout with
The “new course” was met with favour
Lake Dwelling Museum of Lake Ledro, The
the arrangement of the internal areas, is
and, at the same time, a new generation
“Gianni Caproni” Aviation Museum, The
the result of the skilful direction by the
of researchers started to reap the benefits
Geological Museum of the Dolomites in
team of designers led by Mr. Piano, which
of European Community funding for
Predazzo and the Limnological Research
has worked closely with the museum staff
environmental research. The new role
Center of Lake Tovel.
in creating this new cultural hub.
Spotli 3. ght
Why make a new science museum?
facts and information focused on the
contents that will cover a generous
sensitivity of the naturalist, so as to
range of themes, from the formation of
meet the expectations of those worried
Planet Earth to the technologies of the
MUSE stems from the progressive
about the future of planet Earth, and to
future, capable of promoting sustainable
provide contemporary citizens wondering
economies and societies, from the
about the limitations of development
biological diversity of the Alps to global
and about the careful and positive use of
environmental issues.
it can become for visitors and for tourism.
scientific knowledge and technological
This museum will surely play an
Based on the good practice developed
applications with suitable evaluation
important role in championing the
in the last twenty years at the Tridentine
elements. The visitor is thus invited to
dialogue of Trentino citizens and visitors
Museum of Natural Science that operated
participate in the construction of shared
with knowledge, focusing its attention
in the historical building located in
knowledge for a cultural well-being
on themes concerning the future of
downtown Trento, the Autonomous
based on global education.
humanity.
Province of Trento gladly committed itself
This set of intents, which superficially
to the building of a new science museum
might seem abstract arguments or
In MUSE, the web of stories and facts
that would feature new contents and
simple good intentions, finds in the MUSE
of nature and science, past and future,
attract various kinds of audiences by
project an outlet capable of generating
will come to life through experimentation,
becoming a sort of innovative museum
curiosity, attention, fascination and
discovery, play. It will be a destination
district together with Trentino’s other
appeal.
comprehension of the function a good science museum can perform for its local community and how strong an attraction
famous museums, such as MART and Castello del Buonconsiglio.
The prestigious building, waiting for the day it will welcome its first audience,
Thus MUSE, the new museum designed
is attractive for its architectural
by the world-famous architect Renzo
appearance, too. Designed by Renzo
Piano, is ready to open its doors to
Piano, the museum is poised to become
visitors on Saturday, July 27th, 2013
an iconic element for the city of Trento,
- a museum ready to translate into
not only as an important contemporary
an innovative display a whole set of
architectural structure but also for its
especially suited to families, all year round. In short, MUSE aims at excellence and innovation in exterior appearance and in interior layout, but above all in what it will communicate to its visitors.
Susta photoinability, go loft, zevoltaic, geold, water ro miles, r thermic, , LEED ain m2, en , 1 2 , sourc ergy, rene000 Renzoes, big voidwable gravit Piano, zer, y, bam o boo
The museum building. A close relationship between shape and content
Vision4. s
The mountains of Renzo Piano The architectural idea is the result of the
resources and high-efficiency systems.
mediated balance between the need for
The building employs photovoltaic
flexibility and the response, translated
panels and geothermal probes working
into precise and coherent shapes, to
to support a central CCHP (combined
the scientific content of the cultural
cooling, heating and power) system that
project. This is a museum in which the
serves the entire district. The museum’s
great exhibition themes are mirrored by
functional systems are all centralized
its shape and volumes but that at the
and automated.
same time allows for ample flexibility in
The energy system is based on the
The structure designed and realised
setting up its spaces - all typical features
careful design of the layering, thickness
by Renzo Piano is a showpiece of Italian
of a next-generation museum building.
and type of insulation used and of the
architecture. The building’s key feature
The structure consists of a sequence
fixtures and shading systems, so as to
is the movement imparted by its roof
of spaces and volumes, of chambers
optimise the energy efficiency of the
elements that simulate the slopes of
and voids, posed on a large expanse of
building. A sophisticated automatic
mountain peaks.
water on which they seem to float, thus
brise-soleil (sun shade) and curtain
multiplying the effects and vibrations
system driven by temperature and solar
The museum building stretches from
of light and shade. The whole is held
radiation sensors reduces sun radiation
East to West for 130 metres on its
together, at the top, by the large slopes
during the hotter summer hours and
longest side and is 35 metres wide from
of the roof that follow the internal
allows for more sunshine entering
North to South. It has two storeys under
shapes, creating a highly recognizable
during cold winter days.
ground and five above ground (ground
outline.
Natural lighting and ventilation solutions
floor included). All of the above-ground
in some areas of the building help
floors plus the -1 floor are dedicated to
The construction techniques pursue
reduce energy consumption and make
the visiting public and to administration,
environmental sustainability and energy
the interior spaces more comfortable.
service and research activities.
saving criteria and are based on a
Special solutions have been adopted
Floor -2 is essentially a parking lot.
wide and diversified use of renewable
to increase energy saving, such as the
Vision5. s
cistern that collects rainwater to be used for sanitary purposes, for irrigating the greenhouse and for supplying fresh water to the aquariums and the water moat surrounding the building, thus cutting the use of hydro water by 50%. The choice of building materials privileges those from local sources so as to limit transport pollution. Compliance with sustainability and low-impact criteria is evident in the particular and rather curious choice of using Italian bamboo for the wood flooring of the exhibition areas. Wood is a substance consisting mainly of CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere during the life of the plant. As regards the fight against climate change, plants are antagonists to the growth in CO2 levels in the atmosphere and therefore antagonists to the increase in the so-called “greenhouse gases”. Each volume of wood exiting the life cycle corresponds to an almost equal quantity of sequestered CO2. As regards wood used in construction and flooring applications, bamboo takes about 4 years to grow to the right size for being sectioned into parquet laths. Traditional tree wood of equal quality and hardness, such as larch, for example, takes at least 40 years to grow as much. This means that bamboo is a super-efficient CO2 remover and its use in building construction or in interior decoration is beneficial in reducing and limiting global climate change. Thanks to cooperation with the Trentino Technological District, the project has been submitted to the procedures for obtaining the LEED® certification. The LEED system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed
Motivations
the museum also physically “hugs” the whole new district, acting at the
in the United States in 1998, provides guidelines for sustainable design and
MUSE stands in an urban and scenic
same time as an important urban pole
construction techniques reducing
context that is the result of a single
of attraction for the rest of the city.
energy consumption, and consequently
project vision aimed at the significant
This embrace is underscored by the
building management and maintenance
requalification of this part of the city
water theme that, in the form of canal,
costs, as well as emissions toxic to
of Trento that is closest to its river.
cuts through the entire area from South
humans and the environment.
The idea behind the city-planning
to North and then duplicates the shape
concept that underlies the entire
of the museum as if it were reflected
Finally, the project envisages the
intervention is to create a city fragment
by it. Standing in the northernmost
creation of a bicycle parking area,
complete with its hubs, hierarchies
area of the district, the museum also
equipped with changing rooms and
and functional complexities. It will
mediates the relationship with the
showers, and only a limited number of
encompass shopping, residential and
pre-existing precious structure,
car parking slots, in order to boost the
office areas, as well as those of public
Palazzo delle Albere (that hosts the
visitors’ use of public transportation.
interest, the most interesting of which
MART in Trento) and its lawns, creating
The museum, located near the cycling
will be the MUSE.
a functional and respectful urban
path, can be easily reached by bicycle.
Together with a 5 ha public park,
interaction with the same.
6. Why M USE?
The Director speaks “Personally, I believe that the aim of
Because we ever more evidently need to
ecosystems and landscapes.
building a new museum today is not
increase our knowledge so as to be ready
For all these reasons, MUSE is a place
limited to selecting and rigorously and
to respond with awareness to the new
of culture and of intelligent entertainment
scientifically collecting precious objects
challenges we are being faced with.
the ultimate aim of which is to engender
for display.
We need to direct our children so as to
thought and reflection, to stimulate
Today, the designing of a new museum
prepare them to live in a world that is
dialogue between family members,
means to focus our attention on the
increasingly in need of people capable
to transform a school outing into an
experience that the visitor will have in this
of inventing the future, a future in which
exploration of the millennia of human
space. A visitor’s experience lies wholly
technical sciences will progressively
history, to highlight the relationship
in his inquisitive mind, in the hands that
replace repetitive tasks, and in exchange
between nature, science and society.
explore and interact with the exhibit, in
will require creativity and innovation.
A place of experience that allows us
his emotions that light up on viewing
A future in which the quality of life will
to address with spirit and cheer a very
an especially stimulating rendition or
once again be matched with the capacity
frequently asked question: “and what
something internal and private he feels
to harbour an economic way of thinking
if tomorrow...?”.”
when made to reason about the world
that is effective and, we hope, mutual.
that surrounds him.
A future in which it will be good to
It means to design a museum that relates
live if we are capable of reconciling
with people, with the “new people” we
demographic pressure and urban
are becoming increasingly in need of to
growth with clear and strong decisions
redirect this quickly transforming world.
in the fields of conservation of nature,
Michele Lanzinger The Director of MUSE Science Museum of Trento
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A new way to visit a museum From the visitor’s viewpoint, MUSE offers an extensive range of stimuli. There are areas that we like to call “immersive”, namely spaces inside which the visitor loses his or her relationship with the external envelope that is the museum and becomes totally immersed in a virtual world consisting of 360° projections made even more realistic by Dolby surround effects. Based on the mixture of “hand-on” practices and informal learning tools, a visit to the museum becomes a grand and personal experiment of appropriation of knowledge, gained by interacting in person with attractive installations. It is a visit that stimulates the visitor’s curiosity, favours dialogue with other visitors and the questioning of common sense; it is an experience that stimulates the viewer to challenge his or her convictions regarding nature, science and innovation. The building’s shape, a mountain metaphor, sets and underlines the topdownwards direction of the permanent exhibition. Once past the entrance, visitors experience a 360° sensorial trip. They can feel cold air, can touch ice, walk through a forest, observe a strange insect or gaze in the eyes of a Neanderthal man. They can also extract and map DNA, interview a researcher working in the laboratories open to the public, find answers to their questions by touching a screen, listen to mountain noises,
Other 7. world s
When a visit transforms into exploration admire a dinosaur footprint, smell the
territory and that develops from the
scent of the trees, look at the other side
top downwards, is intertwined with a
of the world, play with a stuffed animal,
horizontal tale that establishes a sort
understand the greenhouse effect, build
of dialogue between the Alpine range
objects, print out a 3D project, watch the
and the rest of the world, between
passing of cosmic rays.
local and global commitment, between
As they gradually descend from the
conservation of nature and science and
fourth floor, visitors pass from the
technology for sustainable development.
renditions of mountain peaks occupied
This entails a space dedicated to civil
by perennial snow and from the vertigo
defence, understood as the capacity to
felt when using the equipped passage, to
intervene and prevent environmental risk.
the feeling of bewilderment in losing their
Visitors will discover a unitary path of
way in a “labyrinth of Alpine biodiversity”
techniques and transformations of the
and to observing how important the
land that leads from Alpine pre-history
strong contrast between seasons is.
to the limits of planetary sustainability,
All this makes it fun and easy to
consisting of population growth, loss
understand the formation phases of the
of biodiversity and climate change.
Dolomite range, the birth of the Alps and,
And they will discover that our future
with the ice ages, the onset of the first
depends on how we will interact with
communities of hunters-gatherers and
scientific knowledge and with technology
the progressive shaping of the
to ensure intelligent, sustainable and
landscapes, also due to the many
inclusive growth.
millennia of human activity. The naturalist portion of the visit ends on the first
Near the end of the visit, the tropical
underground floor with a tale that leads
greenhouse, an integral part of the
visitors to discover the origins of life, and
museum project, consists in a veritable
then on to the largest dinosaur exhibition
greenhouse in which to raise and
in the Alps.
preserve a rainforest. This area interprets
This vertical tale, that sheds light on
the planet’s biodiversities within the
the natural dimension of the Alpine
global context of sustainability.
3 .700 500 2 0 0 600 600 1.800 800 500 mq
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Perm anent exhib ition
Temp orary exhib ition
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Childr en’s a rea
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and b ar
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Store ag and c e rooms ollect ions m
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Librar ies an d
archiv es
800
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Cl teach assrooms ing la a borat nd ories
900
2.000 200 1 2.600
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Resea rch la borat ories
Maxi Ooh!
Confe rence room
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Office s
Servic e area s
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(100 s eats)
Total net su rfaces
Up until 27 July 2013 Science Museum
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| Photo: Alessandro Gadotti, Fabio Pupin, Lucio Tonina, Massimo Zarucco, Fototeca Trentino Marketing Spa. | Rendering: Renzo Piano Building Workshop | 3/2013 - 2000
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