Dynamic Earth (originally known as Our Dynamic Earth) is a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

visitor attraction and science centre in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and is Scotland's largest interactive visitor attraction. It is located in the Holyrood area, beside the

Scottish Parliament building ; sco, Scots Pairlament Biggin , native_name_lang = , former_names = , alternate_names = Holyrood , image = Scottish Parliament building - geograph.org.uk - 2469654.jpg , image_alt = , caption ...

and at the foot of

Salisbury Crags Holyrood Park (also called the Queen's Park or King's Park depending on the reigning monarch's gender) is a royal park in central Edinburgh, Scotland about to the east of Edinburgh Castle. It is open to the public. It has an array of hills, loc ...

. It is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

under Scottish law and is owned as The Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust. The centre was opened by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

in 1999. The project is located close to where renowned Scottish

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

James Hutton James Hutton (; 3 June O.S.172614 June 1726 New Style. – 26 March 1797) was a Scottish geologist, agriculturalist, chemical manufacturer, naturalist and physician. Often referred to as the father of modern geology, he played a key role i ...

lived and worked in the city in the 18th century. The Dynamic Earth Trust says its aim is: "to consistently be the most fun place to play, learn and work.” A permanent visitor attraction which presents the story of the planet - how it was created; how it continues to evolve, the prospects for mankind and the effect of hazards both natural and manmade."

History

The new exhibition was funded by the

Millennium Commission The Millennium Commission, a United Kingdom public body, was set up to celebrate the turn of the millennium. It used funding raised through the UK National Lottery to assist communities in marking the close of the second millennium and celebra ...

in association with The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government as part of an urban regeneration project for former industrial land in the Holyrood area. The location was previously on a site which was latterly a gas-works and part of the old Holyrood Brewery. The brewers

Scottish & Newcastle Scottish & Newcastle plc was a brewing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, which expanded from its home base to become an international business with beer volumes growing almost tenfold. The company was listed on the London Stock Exc ...

donated the site for public use in 1988 however the brewery did not vacate the site until the mid-1990s. The new exhibition cost around £34 million to design and construct (out of a budget of £150 million for the entire area) and was the first major United Kingdom millennium attraction to open. Other exhibitions funded by the Millennium Commission include the

Glasgow Science Centre Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II opened Glasgow Science Centre on 5 July 2001. It is one of Scotland's ...

, the

Falkirk Wheel The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part o ...

and the

Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millenn ...

in London. The centre was officially opened by

in 1999.

Design

Dynamic Earth from the Radical Road - geograph

The building's structure consists of a steel mast-supported membrane stretched over a steel skeleton. It was designed by architects Michael Hopkins and Partners. The design incorporates the original wall that formed the outer perimeter of the Abbey Brewery ale stores that were formerly on the site. The building was intended to show a relationship between nature and artifice and comprises three features: the fabric roof and its structure which is set on a terrace housing a two-storey exhibition space and the entrance forecourt. The large entrance area was designed to have the feel of an outdoor area whilst being completely enclosed. At the front of the museum there is a large

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

which is used for outdoor events and gathering points for tours of the facility.

Features

The facility is designed as an immersive experience with a high level of interactivity. Permanent features of the museum include a real

Iceberg An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...

, an earthquake experience and the Deep Time Machine which allows visitors to travel through the creation of our planet through multimedia and 4D techniques. The venue also is home to a digital 360° cinema called the ShowDome, to tell the story of planet Earth through fun and educational films. This feature operates with state-of-the-art Uniview software which transforms cinema into a fully interactive

Planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

and space experience. In an interview with the Press & Journal, chief executive of Dynamic Earth John Simpson, said: “The new equipment will offer visitors an amazing experience within our ShowDome and will inspire even more children and families about Earth and space sciences with an in-house planetarium and a mobile planetarium to reach families all over Scotland.” As well as interactive exhibitions, the site also features the Food Chain Cafe for refreshments and the Natural Selection Gift Shop. The building is designed with full

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

and has wheelchair access, internal lifts, disabled toilet facilities on both sides of the building, which include handle rails and wide door access. Audio guides are also available and English transcripts are available for those with visual or hearing impairments.

Reception

Dynamic Earth is a 5 star world-class visitor attraction, which is determined by

VisitScotland VisitScotland, formerly the Scottish Tourist Board, is a national tourism organisation for Scotland. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, and other ...

(formerly the Scottish Tourist Board). The building itself has also won a 2001 RIBA Regional Award from the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

and a

Civic Trust Award The Civic Trust Awards scheme was established in 1959 to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. As the longest standing built environment awards scheme in Europe, since 1959, more than 7000 projects have ...

in 2000.

Visitor Numbers

As with many other Science Centers and Exhibitions constructed around the time including the

Millennium Experience The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. As of 2022, it is the nin ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and The Big Idea in Irvine, initial visitor numbers proved to be overly-optimistic. The Millennium Experience in London received roughly half of their expected visitors and was deemed a failure, whilst The Big Idea closed after only three years in operation after failing to cover operating costs. In 2007, Dynamic Earth submitted that, since opening, the attraction has received over 3 million visitors. In 2006 it received 202,500 visitors of which 46,500 were visits by school parties. In order to increase revenue, Dynamic Earth developed three new income sources to complement their visitor attraction in the mid-2000s. These included providing corporate hospitality, hosting meetings and events (including weddings) and educational experiences to allow school trips and group visits from around the country.

References

External links

Dynamic Earth websiteVisitScotland - Dynamic Earth
{{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1999 Buildings and structures in Edinburgh Education in Edinburgh Buildings and structures celebrating the third millennium Museums in Edinburgh Geology museums in Scotland 1999 establishments in Scotland Science centers in Scotland Geology of Scotland Science and technology in Edinburgh Buildings by Hopkins Architects Charities based in Scotland