CosmoCaixa Barcelona () is a
science museum located in
Barcelona,
Catalonia,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
. Formerly known as the Science Museum of Barcelona, it closed for renovations in 1998 and reopened in 2004 under its current name. The museum features a variety of exhibitions, permanent and temporary, that showcase the environment, nature, science, and space. CosmoCaixa also has a
planetarium and exhibitions devoted to interaction such as
touch and
play for small children. It also has a bookstore, gift shop, library, teaching center and cafe. The museum is sponsored by
la Caixa
La Caixa, also known as the "La Caixa" Foundation ( es, Fundación ”la Caixa”), is a not-for-profit banking foundation based in Catalonia. Originally a savings bank (''caja''), it reorganized in the 2000s and 2010s: Its commercial assets are ...
.
Entry to the museum is free for students under 16. Adults too can enjoy at the museum with an entry ticket of 6 euros.
Building
The building was built between 1904-1909 by
Josep Domènech i Estapà
Josep Domènech i Estapà (; Tarragona, 1858 – Cabrera de Mar, 1917) was a Catalan architect.
He graduated in 1881, and became professor of geodesy (1888) and descriptive geometry (1895) at the University of Barcelona, and member of the Aca ...
to serve as an asylum for the blind which closed in 1979. The building was renovated, retaining the original
facade, and an expansion took place bringing the building to four times its original size.
An expansion of the building took place in 2004.
CosmoCaixa has a large spiral walkway that takes visitors from the basement to the 5th floor. The centerpiece of the walkway is an Amazonian tree.
Exhibitions
CosmoCaixa has permanent and temporary exhibitions. It also houses a
planetarium and has a free
public square that allows the public to experience natural science through interactive exhibitions.
Entry tickets to the
Planetarium is 4 euros for adult and students alike. Tickets can also be bought at the museum on the first floor.
Flooded Forest
A flooded forest which allows visitors to experience wet and dry environs of an
Amazon rainforest.
Ceiba trees are reproduced based on molds created by museum staff in
Pará
Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana a ...
,
Brazil. More than 100 living species are represented including
birds,
insects,
frogs,
piranha
A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, f ...
s,
capybaras, and
alligators.
Geological Wall
Large cuts of
geological formations are displayed along a wall showing
erosion,
volcanism,
faults,
sedimentation and related processes. The cuts of rock on display are primarily from Catalonia including
potassium salt
In chemistry, a salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, which results in a compound with no net electric charge. A common example is table salt, with positively cha ...
from
Súria,
sandstone from
Berga
Berga () is the capital of the ''comarca'' (county) of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià, Capolat and Castellar del Riu.
History
Berga derives its name ...
and
Mallorca, volcanic materials from
Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa Natural Park, and
limestone from
Besalú.
The Universe Hall
The Universe's Hall, which is the main space in the Museum, shows a tour starting with the
Big Bang to the most actuality themes, including
modern medicine,
wastes and
robotics, throw the
human evolution and other shapes of
evolution and science. They all are showed by interactive modules that make easier their comprehension.
Clik and Flash
One of three interactive based exhibitions for young children, Clik and Flash uses games to encourage children to learn about science. The space is split into two rooms; Clik uses play, observation and deduction through
smell,
touch and
sight and Flash uses technology to showcase exploration, environments, construction and electricity.
Touch, touch!
Touch, touch! houses living creatures from around the world and the
Mediterranean. Museum staff and scientists present animals and plants from three environments.
Bubble Planetarium
An
astronomy based exhibition for children ages 3–8.
Past exhibitions - historical spaces
Touch, touch!
Touch, touch! houses living creatures from around the world and the
Mediterranean. Museum staff and scientists present animals and plants from three environments.
The Hall of Matter
The Hall of Matter covers
evolution starting with the
Big Bang. It is broken into four sections: the origin of
matter, the first living
organism, the conquest of "symbolic intelligence", and the birth of civilization. The exhibit touches on
gravitational wave,
chaos theory,
biology,
mobility,
neurons,
intelligence and
human evolution.
Gallery
File:Barcelona.Museu.de.la.Ciencia.Interior.1.jpg, A child interacting with a lariat chain in ''The Hall of Matter''
File:Darwin cosmocaixa.jpg, Charles Darwin in the exhibit ''Darwin observador, Darwin naturalista''
File:Rainforest Cosmocaixa.jpg, ''Flooded Forest'' exhibition
File:Tarbosaurus mount.jpg, '' Tarbosaurus''
File:Trix en CosmoCaixa.jpg, '' Tyrannosaurus rex'' (" Trix" specimen, exhibited at CosmoCaixa from 27 October 2017 to 18 February 2018[Elsa Velasco]
"Trix, la reina de los tiranosaurios, llega a CosmoCaixa"
''La Vanguardia'', Barcelona, 27 October 2017 )
See also
*
CaixaForum Barcelona
*
Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona
*
Jorge Wagensberg LubinskiHistory of CosmoCaixa(German)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosmocaixa Barcelona
Museums in Barcelona
Science museums in Spain
Planetaria
La Caixa