Muse...coming soon (ENG)

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.

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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

Tro green pical house

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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