TCD Science Gallery
1,600 sq. m visitor engagement and public interface
The Science Gallery, the first facility of its kind in the world, is a new type of venue for public engagement where ideas meet and opinions collide. RKD delivered this innovative project for Trinity College Dublin as part of the landmark Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) building. The fully glazed two-storey facade of the Science Gallery constitutes a highly visible and inviting ‘shop window’ at street level.
RKD’s scheme features highly flexible display spaces, as well as a cafe and 150-person lecture theatre, which allow the Gallery to display a wide range of exhibition material and encourage public interaction while raising general awareness of the College’s commitment to science and technology. In fact, the Gallery’s design allows for direct integration with the actual scientific research taking place elsewhere in the CRANN building – people become literally involved with science.
The black and white colour palette was consciously chosen to form a neutral backdrop for exhibits and is applied to all aspects of the design – from the floor finish through to the Gallery’s corporate logo. Contemporary furniture by designers including Phillipe Starck, is fully mobile and reconfigurable to accommodate the flexible nature of these internal spaces.
A target of 50,000 visitors was set for the Gallery’s first year — in reality more than 120,000 people visited, testament to the Gallery’s innovative and attractive design.
Location
- Dublin, Ireland
Area
- 1,600 sq. m
Completion
- 2008
Cost
- €1m