Plzeň Techmania announces a competition for the interiors of new exhibits

Plzeň - The Plzeň Science Center and Techmania Museum, which commenced the reconstruction of a heritage building and the expansion of exhibits thanks to an EU grant amounting to hundreds of millions of crowns, is looking for proposals for future interior designs through a public competition. The public competition aims to find the best ideas for the interiors of additional exhibits of the science center and the new 3D planetarium. The ultra-modern planetarium and new exhibitions are expected to open to the public by mid-2014, said Techmania spokesperson Tomáš Moravec to ČTK today.
     According to him, architects and designers have the opportunity for collaboration and self-expression in an original industrial environment that will foster interest, particularly among young people, in science and technology. "It will undoubtedly be a very creative job full of challenges, as Techmania serves both entertainment and education for students and the general public, and all of this must be evident in the interiors," he stated. Techmania is currently located in a section of the factory hall in the main complex of Plzeň's Škodovka, making the industrial setting an extraordinary space for the popularization of science and technology.
     Last year, the center received nearly 600 million crowns in grants for the completion of the science center and the construction of the 3D planetarium. According to plans, Techmania is set to expand not only in the current industrial hall but notably in the heritage-protected building of the former Škodovka canteen, known as ASAP from 1917. The building is unique in that it was the first to use Hetzer's glued trusses technology, where the building's support points are held together by an original adhesive made from a mixture of curd and lime.
     Details and materials for the architectural competition can be found on the Techmania website.