Guangdong Science Center

The Guangdong Science Center is the largest science museum in the world. For five exhibition areas, the “Basic Science Gallery”, we have developed unique spatial concepts that are to be implemented by 2023. Our preliminary design impresses with an artistic approach, embedding scientific exhibits in sensual spatial impressions. The exhibition starts with the basics of mathematics and then leads through the entire world of physics – chronologically based on the greatest discoveries and inventions in the natural sciences.

Making the invisible visible
For this purpose, we invented an innovative format for knowledge transfer. Physical phenomena are very impressive but difficult to understand. The physical principle behind the phenomenon often remains hidden from human perception, such as the effect of electrical or magnetic fields. Our new concept, entitled “Uncovering Science”, addresses this issue. With augmentation, transparent displays, projections, or optical illusions, we make the invisible behind the exhibits visible. Visitors can not only interact with the exhibits but also uncover facts and theories and contextualize them.

Artistic highlights
We were able to develop 120 exhibits in the design process. The highlight installation in the exhibition area “Electrodynamics” is the exhibit “Time to Shine”. It poetically shows how the impression of light arises from a multitude of reflected and absorbed light rays that obey exact physical laws. The spacious installation consists of hanging geometric objects made up of numerous individually movable mirrors. Visitors can change the mirrors, and control and align different light sources through a “VJ interface”, thus immersing the space in completely individual light reflections. It’s an artistic and aesthetic implementation that never stands still and reflects humans and their environment.

Another attraction can be found in the “Quantum Theory” area. Our exhibit “Big Atom Model” visualizes Schrödinger’s atom model as an interactive LED artwork. With a handbike, visitors can create a luminous electron cloud by measuring the positions of an electron around the atomic nucleus. The dynamic experience varies depending on the speed of the handbike, thus visualizing the orbitals of the hydrogen atom. Thus, Schrödinger’s theory becomes tangible, stating that electrons do not move in fixed orbits but rather freely in space.

We are looking forward to the completion of the Basic Science Gallery and to providing many visitors with an artistic and creative approach to mathematics and physics, bringing the meaning as well as the beauty of these phenomena to the world.