12-03-2012

Inspiria Science Center: experience sustainability for yourself

Oslo,

abstract



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Inspiria Science Center: experience sustainability for yourself
Aart Architects of Denmark designed northern Europe's most advanced Science Centre, in Graalum in southeast Norway Inspiria Science Centre is part of a long-term plan to make knowledge the driving force in the economy of the Østfold region in southeast Norway, an hour from Oslo.

The concept is expressed by Danish architectural practice Aart Architects S/A (see http://www.floornature.com/blog/energy-efficiency-combines-with-corporate-identity-7574/) in the building itself, with its trifold form symbolising the cycles of nature. The three glassed-in wings (environment, energy and health) are arranged around a circular central foyer which forms the building’s dynamic core.


The centre is built as a passive structure combining communication and architecture to offer new spaces where the community can learn about sustainability. Its basic purpose is improving quality of life between humans and the environment, and it promotes this principle by getting the population involved, primarily targeting schools, families and tourists. The science centre offers a vast range of attractions with more than 70 interactive exhibits, workshops and northern Europe’s most advanced planetarium.

The building’s shape is unusual, as is the fact that the centre received subsidies from the government organisation Enova for eco-friendly distribution of energy consumption in the Norwegian construction industry, while private companies in the area provided a quarter of the funds needed to build the complex at a total cost of 28.5 million Euro.

The project responds in full to the aspirations of sustainable living which Aart Architects promote in their iconic buildings. The idea has been rewarded by the enthusiastic involvement of the 18 towns in the district, which did all they could to contribute to the construction of the centre economically, investing in the future and in finding out more about the mechanisms through which nature works. Because knowledge is essential if we are to change the way we live for the better.

Design: AART architects A/S, Arhus, Denmark http://www.aart.dk 
Location: Graalum, Norway
Photos: Adam Mørk
Link to the Centre’s website: http://www.inspiria.no/
Related links: http://www.floornature.com/blog/energy-efficiency-combines-with-corporate-identity-7574/


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