48°53′44.002″N 2°23′17.002″E / 48.89555611°N 2.38805611°E / 48.89555611; 2.38805611
Science museum in Paris, France La Cité des Sciences | |
| Established | 13 March 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | Parc de la Villette, Paris, France |
| Type | Science museum |
| Director | Claudie Haigneré |
| Public transit access |     Porte de la Villette |
| Website | www |
The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (French pronunciation: [site de sjɑ̃s e də lɛ̃dystʁi], "City of Science and Industry", abbreviated la CSI) or simply CSI is the biggest science museum in Europe. Located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, it is one of the three dozen French Cultural Centers of Science, Technology and Industry (CCSTI), promoting science and science culture.
About five million people visit the Cité each year. Attractions include a planetarium, a submarine (the Argonaute), an IMAX theatre (La Géode) and special areas for children and teenagers. The CSI is classified as a public establishment of an industrial and commercial character, an establishment specialising in the fostering of scientific and technical culture. Created on the initiative of President Giscard d'Estaing, the goal of the Cité is to spread scientific and technical knowledge among the public, particularly for youth, and to promote public interest in science, research and industry.
The most notable features of the "bioclimatic facade" facing the park are Les Serres – three greenhouse spaces each 32 metres high, 32 metres wide and 8 metres deep. The facades of Les Serres were the first structural glass walls to be constructed without framing or supporting fins. Between 30 May, and 1 June 2008, the museum hosted the 3rd International Salon for Peace Initiatives.
In 2009, the Cité des Sciences and the Palais de la Découverte were brought together in a common establishment, named Universcience, with EPIC status.
Features
- Explore (levels 1, 2, and 3)
- The library of science and industry (Médiathèque, level −1)
- City of children (level 0)
- Auditorium and things (level 0)
- Louis Lumière theatre (level 0)
- Planetarium (located between exhibits on level 2)
- Numeric crossroads (level −1)
- City of careers (level −1)
- City of health (level −1)
- Meeting place (level −1)
- Aquarium (level −2)
- Jean bertin hall (level 0)
- Condorcet hall (level 0)
- Picnic area (level 0)
- Post office (level 0)
- Store for scientific books and toys (level 0)
- Restaurants (level −2)
- Argonaute museum ship
History
The building is constructed around the vast steel trusses of an abattoir sales hall on which construction had halted in 1973. The transformation, commissioned on 15 September 1980, was designed by the architect Adrien Fainsilber and the engineering firm Rice Francis Ritchie (RFR Engineers). It was opened on 13 March 1986, inaugurated by François Mitterrand upon the occasion of the encounter of the Giotto space probe with Halley's Comet.
Floor directory
| Exhibitions | Shows | Resources | Facilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 | Two permanent + two temporary exhibitions Activity points |
Planetarium | Snack bar | |
| Level 1 | Six permanent + two temporary exhibitions Greenhouse Activity points |
Snack bar | ||
| Level 0 | Cité des Enfants, 2–7-year-olds Cité des Enfants, 5–12-year-olds Shadows and light Argonaute submarine |
Louis-Lumière cinema Cinaxe cinema |
Library (BSI) – children's section Auditorium |
Information desk, ticket desk Café, Shop Post office Cloakroom Cash machine |
| Level −1 | Multimedia Library (BSI) Vocal guidance Health Information Digital Forum |
La Villette Conference Centre Group Cloakroom | ||
| Level −2 | Géode | Aquarium | Restaurant Cafeteria Café Car Parks |
Access
It is accessible by Métro Line 7 at the Porte de la Villette station and by bus lines 60, 71, 75, 139, 150, 151, 152 and 170. The tramway T3b was opened in December 2012.
See also
- Cité de la musique, City of Music
- La Géode, an IMAX domed theatre
- List of museums in Paris
- Le Zénith, a concert arena in Parc de la Villette
- Parc de la Villette
- List of tourist attractions in Paris
References
- Fernandès, Margarida (1996). "La cité des sciences et de l'industrie : Un nouveau lieu de formation ?". Études de Communication (19): 67–73. doi:10.4000/edc.2412.
- "Cité des Sciences & de l'Industrie". 12 January 2016.
- "Cerveau : De la suite dans les idées - Expos permanentes d'Explora - Cité des sciences et de l'industrie - Expositions, conférences, cinémas, activités culturelles et sorties touristiques pour les enfants, les parents, les familles - Paris".
- Arfin, Ferne (12 January 2009). "France: Insider's guide to Paris". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
BEST FOR FAMILIES Parc de la Villette, in north-east Paris, is junior heaven. In addition to several adventure playgrounds and 35 "follies" housing activities and exhibitions, it holds the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (00 33 1 4005 7000; www.cite-sciences.fr/english), Europe's biggest science museum
- "Décret n°2009-1491 du 3 décembre 2009 portant création de l'établissement public du palais de la Découverte et de la Cité des sciences et de l'industrie". www.legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- "Engineering Timelines - Les Serres et Toiture Accueil, La Villette".
- Fiero, Annette. " The Glass State: The Technology of the Spectacle, Paris, 1981-1998". Chapter 4; Symbolic Structures p. 153. MIT Press 2003 ISBN 026206233X, 9780262062336
- RATP
External links
- Official website (in English) including light version
- 48 photos of the Cité