Glasgow Science Centre

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Glasgow Science Centre, with (left to right) IMAX cinema, Science Mall and Glasgow Tower buildings
Glasgow Science Centre, with (left to right) IMAX cinema, Science Mall and Glasgow Tower buildings

Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a purpose-built science centre comprised of three principal buildings which are the Science Mall, an IMAX cinema and the Glasgow Tower. The Scottish tourist board, VisitScotland, awarded Glasgow Science Centre a five star rating in the visitor attraction category.[1]

Contents

[edit] Buildings

[edit] Science Mall

The Science Mall is a titanium-clad crescent shape structure that houses three floors of interactive science-learning exhibits, a Science Show Theatre and the ScottishPower Planetarium.[2][3] The planetarium, sponsored by Scottish Power, contains a Zeiss optical-mechanical projector that projects images of the night sky onto a 15m diameter dome.[4][5]

[edit] IMAX Cinema

The IMAX cinema was the first, and remains the only, IMAX cinema to be built in Scotland. It opened to the public in October 2000, several months prior to the opening of the two other buildings.[6]

[edit] Glasgow Tower

Glasgow Tower

Glasgow Tower
Information
Location Glasgow, Scotland
Status Complete
Constructed 2001
Use Observation tower
Height
Antenna/Spire 127 metres (417 ft)
Companies
Architect Richard Horden
Structural
Engineer		 Buro Happold

At 127 metres high, Glasgow Tower is currently the tallest tower in Scotland and the second tallest free-standing structure after the Inverkip Power Station chimney. It also holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest tower in the world capable of rotating 360 degrees from its base to its top.[7]

[edit] Design

It is shaped like an aerofoil (as if an aircraft wing had been set in the ground vertically), with computer-controlled motors to turn it into the wind in order to reduce wind resistance. The tower, previously known as the Millennium Tower, was the winning design in an international competition to design a tower for the city centre of Glasgow.[8] The tower is the spiritual successor to the Clydesdale Bank Tower that stood on approximately the same spot during the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival.

[edit] Tallest Building Debate

When completed in 2001, it became the tallest tower in Scotland. The website for the tower claims it is "The tallest freestanding building in Scotland".[9] Although the tower has an observation desk (at 105 metres), it does not have floors continuously from the ground and therefore it is not considered a building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Once complete, the 39-storey Elphinstone Place residential tower in the city's financial district, will replace Glasgow Tower as Scotland's second tallest structure, and become Scotland's tallest building.

[edit] History

The tower has been plagued by safety and engineering problems throughout its history. Problems with the Nigerian-made thrust bearing on which it rotates led to it being closed between February 2002 and August 2004.[10] On 30 January 2005, ten people were trapped in the lifts and only rescued after five hours.[11] Following the incident, the tower re-opened again on December 21, 2006.[12]

In September 2007, a charity abseil event was held on Glasgow Tower.[13][14]

[edit] History

Opened to the public in June 2001, Glasgow Science Centre is part of the on-going redevelopment of Pacific Quay, an area which was once a cargo port known as Prince's Dock.[15][16] The architects of the Glasgow Science Centre were Building Design Partnership, however the Glasgow Tower was originally designed by the architect Richard Horden with engineering design by Buro Happold.[17][18] It was built at a cost of around £75 million, including £10 million for Glasgow Tower, with over £37 million coming from the Millennium Commission.[19][20]

[edit] In the media

In the CBeebies television programme Nina and the Neurons, the title character Nina is a neuroscientist who works at Glasgow Science Centre.[21]

Several programmes including CBBC's Do Something Different were filmed in and out of Glasgow Science Centre.[citation needed]

The area surrounding the Glasgow Science Centre is expected to become Glasgow's equivalent of London's south bank, home of The London Studios.[citation needed] More programming is to be filmed around the science centre because of the new STV headquarters, which opened in June 2006, and BBC Scotland's Pacific Quay Studios which began to broadcast programming in the summer of 2007.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Glasgow Science Centre on Visitscotland.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  2. ^ MERO Construction website on the Glasgow Science Centre. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  3. ^ Glasgow Science Centre webpage on the Science Mall. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  4. ^ Zeiss Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  5. ^ Zeiss installation list. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  6. ^ Millennium Commission News October 2000. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  7. ^ Flickr photo of World Record certificate. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
  8. ^ Horden Cherry Lee Architects. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  9. ^ Glasgow Tower Facts. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  10. ^ BBC News Report. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  11. ^ BBC News Report. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  12. ^ BBC News Report. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  13. ^ Glasgow Science Centre webpage on event. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  14. ^ Cash for Kids charity page. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  15. ^ BBC News report on the opening of Glasgow Science Centre. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  16. ^ Glasgow Architecture website on Pacific Quay. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  17. ^ Horden Cherry Lee Architects. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  18. ^ BDP Architects. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  19. ^ HMie Review of the Contribution of the Scottish Science Centres Network. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  20. ^ Millennium Commission Awrds. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  21. ^ CBeebies Nina and the Neurons webpage. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.

[edit] External links

Gallery of Modern Art

Glasgow Art Galleries and Museums
(edit)

Art Galleries: Gallery of Modern Art | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery | Burrell Collection | McLellan Galleries | Pollok House

Museums: Glasgow Museum of Transport | Glasgow Science Centre | St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art | People's Palace | Provand's Lordship | Scotland Street School Museum | Scottish Football Museum | The Lighthouse

Planned: Riverside Museum
Languages