Science World at TELUS World of Science
Encyclopedia
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
run by a not-for-profit organization in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located at the end of False Creek
False Creek
False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is...
, and features many permanent interactive exhibits and displays, as well as areas with varying topics throughout the years.
The building's former name, Science World, is still the name of the organization. The building's name change to the Telus World of Science
TELUS World of Science
Telus World of Science is a "brand" for a number of science centre, planetarium, and space centre facilities in Canada sponsored by Telus, a Canadian telecommunications company...
became official on July 20, 2005 following a $9-million donation to the museum from Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
. The official name of the science centre was subsequently changed to "Telus World of Science", although it is still routinely referred to as "Science World" by the public. Prior to the building behing handed over to Science World by the City, it was the as Expo Centre during Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
.
When Science World is operating out of the dome, it is referred to as Science World at TELUS World of Science, and when it is out in the community it is simply Science World.
Science World outside of TELUS World of Science
Science World also runs programs at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC, and around the province, including locations as remote as Haida Gwaii and Ladysmith.History
In 1977, Barbara Brink ran mobile hands-on exhibits known as the Extended I around the Lower Mainland. Later, the temporary Arts, Sciences & Technology Centre opened in downtown Vancouver on January 15, 1982 attracting over 600,000 visitors. Another 400,000 benefited from the centre’s outreach programs, which were delivered around the province.When Vancouver was awarded to host the transportation-themed 1986 World's Fair (Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
), a Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
inspired geodesic dome was designed to serve as the fair's Expo Centre with construction beginning in 1984 and being completed by early 1985. After Expo closed its gates in October of that year, an intensive lobbying campaign was launched to secure the landmark building, relocate the "Arts, Sciences and Technology Centre" into the post-expo dome, and convert the Expo Centre into Science World. With much government backing, the dome was obtained from the province and a massive fund-raising campaign ensued. Donations from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, the GVRD, the private sector, foundations, and individuals contributed $19.1 million to build an addition to the Expo Centre, redesign the interior and fabricate exhibits. In 1988, in a four month preview, over 310,000 visitors came to see the new building. A year later, The 400 seat OMNIMAX
Omnimax
Omnimax may refer to:* A variation of the IMAX film format that is projected on an angled dome* A shorthand expression for a deity that is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and/or omnibenevolent...
theatre in the upper section of the dome was opened, extending upon the 3D IMAX theatre which was built in 1986 for the Expo "Transitions" film series.
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
in 1996, renaming its OMNIMAX Theatre the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre. Alcan has since decided to sponsor the organization in different ways and the theatre has returned to its original name, the OMNIMAX Theatre. In January 2005, the building was officially renamed "Telusphere" as part of an agreement where Telus gave a $9-million donation in return for the "naming rights" of the building. This new name proved universally unpopular. In the summer of 2005, Telus and Science World officially changed the name of the building to the Telus World of Science. This maintained consistency with other "Telus World of Science" centres in Calgary and Edmonton that were named in the meantime. This name change has not affected the nearby SkyTrain station
Main Street-Science World Station
Main Street – Science World Station is an elevated station on the Expo Line of the SkyTrain system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
and the general public still refers to it as Science World.
During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Science World was transformed into the Russky Dom (also known as Sochi.ru World), which profiled plans for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. From February 12 to 28, 2010, the general public was allowed into the Russky Dom from noon until 5 p.m. In the evenings, parties were held in the Russky Dom for accredited guests.
See also
- Telus World of ScienceTELUS World of ScienceTelus World of Science is a "brand" for a number of science centre, planetarium, and space centre facilities in Canada sponsored by Telus, a Canadian telecommunications company...
- Telus World of Science, CalgaryTELUS World of Science, CalgaryThe Telus World of Science – Calgary is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are three traveling exhibits every year and more permanent exhibits that are designed on-site. The Discovery Dome Theatre...
- Telus World of Science, EdmontonTELUS World of Science, EdmontonThe Telus World of Science - Edmonton is a broad-based science centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, operated by the Edmonton Space & Science Foundation...