Experimenta Heilbronn

View from the Neckar Mile to the Science Center experimenta with existing building (left) and new building (right)

Experimenta in Heilbronn

The building seen from the harbor market tower

The building as seen from Bleach Island

Extension of Experimenta based on a design by the Berlin architects Sauerbruch Hutton

The experimenta - Science Center of the Heilbronn-Franken region is a science center in Heilbronn , Baden-Württemberg . The learning and adventure world is housed in the former Hagenbucher warehouse and a new building opened in March 2019 on the Kraneninsel and is intended to make science and technology accessible to people of all ages. The experimenta consists of the exhibition area "Entdeckerwelten", the "Erlebniswelten" with Science Dome, observatory and experimental theater as well as the "Research Worlds" in the existing building with eight laboratories, an experimental kitchen, the student research center in North Württemberg and the Maker Space.

history

After the warehouse had served various cultural purposes until 2003 and there were plans to use it as an extension of the city's museums up to that time, the decision was made to use it as a science center in the future. The Berlin architecture firm studioinges emerged as the winner from an architectural competition in 2006.

As a model of the public-private partnership, the building construction costs were largely borne by the city of Heilbronn, while the entire exhibition fittings and exhibits were financed by sponsors. A total of 30.8 million euros were invested in the system with around 7,500 square meters of usable space - around 3.8 million more than initially estimated. The city of Heilbronn was the largest donor with a share of 15.6 million euros, ahead of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation (15.2 million). Other sponsors included EnBW , Gasversorgung Süddeutschland , Würth Group and the Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke . The city of Heilbronn alone financed a parking garage for around six million euros and other traffic structures in connection with the Experimenta. Construction work began in May 2008.

The Experimenta was inaugurated on November 14, 2009. The institution is supported by a society whose members are the City of Heilbronn, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, the Heilbronn-Franken Chamber of Commerce, the Heilbronn University and the Academy for Information and Management. In 2015 around 168,000 visitors were counted.

In 2013 the Dieter Schwarz Foundation announced a substantial expansion of the Experimenta. A new building with around 13,500 square meters of usable space including the “Science Dome” and biosphere building should be completed by 2017. In November 2013, the foundation presented the winning design in an international architectural competition, in which the Sauerbruch Hutton office prevailed. After construction work began on Kraneninsel, a chamber lock from 1734 and a mill canal made entirely of wood from 1830 were uncovered. The construction work was delayed by the archaeological excavations. Due to the renovation work, the experimenta was temporarily closed from July 31, 2017 until it reopened with the extension. The motor ship Experimenta was used as an alternative accommodation from 2018 .

The reopening with the converted existing building and the new building followed on March 31, 2019. According to its own statements, experimenta has been Germany's largest science center since then.

Areas

The experimenta is divided into three areas: The Discovery Worlds area consists of the four exhibition floors Metabolism, Head Things, World View and Research Land with around 275 interactive stations. There is also a glass creative studio on each floor, in which you can work with craftsmanship, technology, creativity or communication. For example, a cartoon can be produced, a piece of music composed or body cells examined.

The adventure worlds consist of the Science Dome, experimental theater and observatory. A dome spans the Science Dome, which is a mixture of planetarium and theater with a 100 square meter stage. The projection area of the dome is 700 square meters. The spectator area in the Science Dome has 150 seats and can be rotated 180 degrees. The equipment includes, among other things, a 3D audio system, a laser system, a water curtain on the stage and a high-performance projector for the detailed production of the starry sky in the dome. The observatory on the roof of the new building houses two large telescopes: a reflector telescope with a diameter of 50 centimeters and a focal length of 3500 millimeters and a lens telescope with a diameter of 25 centimeters and a focal length of 2200 millimeters. The experimental theater is designed for children up to ten years of age and conveys science and technology in self-developed show formats.

The research worlds consist of eight laboratories and an experimental kitchen. The laboratory courses in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics and computer science cover many topics in Baden-Württemberg's educational plans for all age groups. Young researchers can work scientifically in the Student Research Center North Württemberg. In the Maker Space, people aged 14 and over are given a platform to try things out and a workshop for practical work.

Academy of Young Researchers

The “Academy of Young Researchers” is experimenta's student research center. It consists of five educationally supervised experimental laboratories: Archimedes -Atelier, Friedrich-von-Alberti -Atelier, Wilhelm-Maybach -Labor, Robert-Mayer -Labor and Marie-Curie -Labor.

architecture

The Science Center with its approximately 7,500 square meters of floor space is mostly housed in a historic oilseed storage facility known as the Hagenbucher . The renovation and expansion of the storage facility located on a Neckar island was carried out on the basis of an architectural competition won in 2007 by the Berlin architectural office studioinges . The striking clinker building was supplemented by a slim new building, which was also provided with the same clinker shell. A glass joint between the old and new building is accompanied by an illuminated, green wall that accommodates the main access. The renovation was awarded the young talent award at the 2011 German Brick Prize.