Photo:2
Photo:3
Photo:4
Photo:5
Photo:6
Photo:2 Photo:3 Photo:4 Photo:5 Photo:6 |
| History and background | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2>
The project opened in 2000 as the successor to the Exploratory, a large science museum and demonstration centre, founded by Richard Gregory,[5] in the former terminus train shed at Bristol Temple Meads Station (later home to the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum), but moved to a city centre site as part of the regeneration of the historical Floating Harbour. The project was funded with £44.3 million from the National Lottery, Millennium Commission, South West of England Regional Development Agency, and a further £43.4 million from commercial partners (including a controversial donation from Nestlé) and Bristol City Council.
The centre is situated on the former Canon's Wharf. Wildwalk and the IMAX cinema occupied a modified 19th century former lead-works building,[6] and Explore occupies a 1906 railway goods shed measuring 540 ft by 133 ft (165 m by 41 m).[7] The goods shed was one of the first buildings to use reinforced concrete and both buildings are Grade II listed buildings. The buildings are located around Millennium Square - also part of the regeneration - and Pero's Bridge, a footbridge across the harbour which links it to the Arnolfini art gallery, Bristol Industrial Museum and Queen Square.
The centre is popularly known as @Bristol, due to the appearance of its logo. This features the word "at" surrounded by a partial circle, reminiscent of an @ symbol. However, the official spelling is At-Bristol, which is how the name appears on the web site and promotional material.
At-Bristol joined the 10:10 project in 2010 in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint. One year later they announced that they had reduced their carbon emissions (according to 10:10's criteria) by 12%.
[edit] Tags:Neutral Point Of View,Layout Guide,Lead Section Guidelines,Canon's Wharf,Bristol,Science,Technology,Mechanics,Computer Science,Space,Human Brain,Rainforests,Aquariums,Ecology,Imax Theatre,Blue Reef Aquarium,Museum,Richard Gregory,Train Shed,Bristol Temple Meads,British Empire And Commonwealth Museum,National Lottery,Millennium Commission,Nestlé,Imax,Cinema,Reinforced Concrete,Grade Ii Listed Buildings,Pero's Bridge,Arnolfini,Art Gallery,Bristol Industrial Museum,Forces,Flight,Optical Illusions,Memory,Sound,Force,Magnets,Railway,Goods Shed,Planetarium,Chris Wilkinson,Eutectic,Science Centre,Michael Hopkins,Butterflies,Crabs,Chameleons,Frogs,Finches,Partridges,Piranhas,Seahorses,Scorpions,Snakes,Spiders,Tarantulas,Triggerfish,Cyberworld 3d,Regional Development Agency,University Of The West Of England,Newquay,Phase-change,Air Source Heat Pumps,Photovoltaic,Images Of England,Culture In Bristol,Bierkeller Theatre,Bristol Hippodrome,Bristol Old Vic,Colston Hall,List Of Artists,Cube Microplex,O2 Academy Bristol,St George's, Brandon Hill,The Thekla,Tobacco Factory,Victoria Rooms,Watershed Media Centre,Wickham Theatre,Winston Theatre,Bristol Festival Of Ideas,Bristol Festival Of Nature,Bristol Harbour Festival,Bristol International Balloon Fiesta,Bristol International Kite Festival,Bristol Shakespeare Festival,St Pauls Carnival,Blaise Castle,Bristol City Museum And Art Gallery,Bristol Harbour Railway,Bristol Zoo,Georgian House,Glenside Museum,Kings Weston Roman Villa,M Shed,Observatory,Red Lodge Museum,Royal West Of England Academy,See No Evil,Ss Great Britain,Parks Of Bristol,Ashton Court, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At-Bristol | 2>
At-Bristol, showing Explore to the right, and the Planetarium, within the large stainless-steel sphere and in the foreground a Space Signpost.
At-Bristol is a hands-on science centre, with a number of different areas:
All About Us - This opened in Spring 2011 and has 50 interactive exhibits which allow visitors to discover how amazing the human body is.
Real Brain - As part of the All About Us exhibition, At-Bristol has an exhibit that displays a real human brain. Real Brain has been produced to give visitors an understanding of medical science research.
Animate It! - this exhibition was developed with Aardman Animations. Visitors can make their own animated films (2D and 3D), see a film set from Wallace & Gromit's 'A Matter of Loaf and Death', or make Morph spin in a Praxinoscope.
Flight zone - Understand more about what factors affect flight and build your own flying object. Includes the Bernoulli Blower.
All About Our World - Allows visitor to discover the world around us through investigation. Includes Icy Bodies, Giant Bubbles and the Turbulent Orb.
The Planetarium - seasonal presenter-led star shows for over fives, and 'Little Stars' show for fives and under
Tiny Explorers - Exhibition areas for the under eights, these include storytelling and dress up. Currently they have Jet, set go! and Fossils and Funnybones
Investigate - Lots of mini science experiments
Move It - The first large area when entering the museum, Move It deals with forces ( in the exhibit Naturally Newton) and flight (Dreams of Flight).
Your Amazing Brain – The second large section on the ground floor, this area deals with the human brain, in particular optical illusions and memory.
Curiosity Zone – Incorporating most of the upper level, this area deals with sound, light, force, magnets, and also includes a mock television studio.
Space – This area includes a small exhibit about space travel, and the large Planetarium, in which 4-6 demonstrations are given daily.
Live Science Zone – Visitors can watch live shows, join in debates, try the hands-on exploration stations or keep updated in news and views.
At-Bristol is housed in a former railway goods shed, which was renovated to house the centre. The renovations included the addition of a large glass atrium to the North of the building, and stainless-steel sphere to the south, housing the planetarium. The architect behind the renovation was Chris Wilkinson.
An interesting feature of the building is the eutectic tank, which is a 10 metres (33 ft) high transparent tube filled with thousands of balls containing eutectic salts. As the temperature within the building rises, the crystals within the balls melt, taking in the heat and cooling the building. As the building cools, the salts crystallise again, giving out heat. In this way, the tank helps keep the temperature within the centre constant.
[edit] | Tags: Wildwalk-At-Bristol | 2>
The first part of the botanical house in Wildwalk-At-Bristol; Plants on Land
Insects; one of the exhibits in Wildwalk-At-Bristol
Wildwalk was an Ecology Science centre, which contained two artificial rainforests, aquariums, hands-on exhibits, and live animal exhibits.
The centre comprised a large building (previously a lead-works building) with a ‘living rainforest’ attached to the southern side, and was designed by Michael Hopkins & Partners.
The centre housed a large number of animals, including butterflies, crabs, chameleons, frogs, finches, partridges, piranhas, seahorses, scorpions, snakes, spiders, tarantulas, triggerfish: in total over 150 species from all major animal groups.[1]
The botanical house was split into two distinct sections: Plants on Land, which traced the development of plants from simple mosses through to complex flowering plants; and Tropical Forests, which showcased plants from tropical continents, including a cycad which produced a rare, bright red cone 45 cm (18 in) tall and 80 cm (31 in) in circumference in 2003.[1]
Following Wildwalk's closure, all animals and plants were re-homed to other zoos and natural history venues.[1] Additionally, some elements of the exhibits from Wildwalk have been incorporated into Explore.
[edit] | Tags: IMAX-At-Bristol | 2>
Housed in the same building as Wildwalk, the IMAX theatre was the first of the three At-Bristol attractions to open, on 20 April 2000.
Since opening, the theatre received over 1.1 million visitors, and screened 70 films.[1]
The longest running film, and thus that with the highest attendance figures, was Cyberworld 3D.
[edit] | Tags: Closure of Wildwalk and IMAX | 2>
Wildwalk-At-Bristol and the IMAX Theatre from the outside. The large translucent canopy was the roof of the botanical house
Since opening, At-Bristol had an annual operating deficit of around £1.5 million to be filled by fundraising.[1] Though the charity had no problems securing short term funds and grants to cover this when the centre was set up, enabling them to run the three attractions for just over six years, by 2005/2006 most of these had either decreased greatly or ended altogether.
This left only two options: close the whole centre, or close Wildwalk and IMAX, enabling existing funds to be channelled exclusively to Explore. As Explore was most popular with visitors, whereas Wildwalk and the IMAX theatre were most expensive to run,[8] it was decided that the second option was viable, and in this way Explore could become financially viable in the future.
For these reasons, Wildwalk and the IMAX theatre closed for the last time on Saturday, 31 March 2007,[9] making 45 people redundant.[10]
The Regional Development Agency worked alongside Bristol City Council to find new uses for the buildings.[8] The University of the West of England expressed an interest in taking over the buildings to use for public outreach work with schools.[11]
In April 2008 it was announced that the Wildwalk building was to be converted into an aquarium and that the IMAX will be used to show nature and wildlife films. The £4 million plan by Newquay firm Blue Reef Aquarium, intended to provide a site for tropical marine and freshwater creatures, which opened in October 2009.[3]
[edit] | Tags: Sustainability | 2>
Since its inception sustainability has been a key part of the At-Bristol project [12]. The At-Bristol building (formerly Explore) is a leading example of low-energy design with a unique phase-change storage tank enabling air source heat pumps to heat and cool the building using only night surplus electricity [13], whilst the former Wildwalk building uses water from the nearby Harbourside for cooling.
Since 2010 At-Bristol has been on an intense sustainability drive to improve its performance in all areas of sustainability whilst also ensuring that the subject is included in its educational and promotional work [14]. In 2011 At-Bristol was awarded a Gold Green Tourism Award [15] and a West of England Carbon Champions Carbon Champion Award [16] and in 2012 a Silver South West Sustainable Tourism Award [17].
March 2012 also saw At-Bristol's environmental performance being improved further with the installation of a 50 kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic array to produce electricity for the building from the sun [18].
[edit] | Tags: References | 2>
^ a b c d e f Closure of Wildwalk and IMAX, At-Bristol
^ "IMAX and Wildwalk to shut". This Is Bristol. 2007-02-05. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=200267&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144916&contentPK=16569495. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
^ a b Staff writer (20 April 2009). "Bristol Wildwalk to be turned into a massive aquarium". Bristol Evening Post. Bristol News and Media. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Work-new-Bristol-aquarium-begins/article-914246-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
^ "It's curtains for Bristol Imax as film screenings stop". This Is Bristol. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/s-curtains-Bristol-Imax-film-screenings-stop/story-13752981-detail/story.html.
^ "Professor Richard Gregory on-line". richardgregory.org. 2010. http://www.richardgregory.org/cv.htm. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
^ "Former leadworks". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=378840. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
^ "Canon's Marsh Goods Shed". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=378839. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
^ a b At-Bristol’s Proposal to Focus on Explore from April 2007
^ BBC News – Science Centres No Longer Viable
^ BBC News – At-Bristol Attractions to Close
^ BBC News – UWE Bids for Bristol Attractions
^ At-Bristol Environmental Policy [1]
^ At-Bristol Building Systems [2]
^ Bristol Evening Post October 2011 - At-Bristol Sustainability Article [3]
^ Gold Green Tourism Listing [4]
^ West of England Carbon Challenge Carbon Champion Case Study [5]
^ Silver South West Sustainable Tourism Press Release [6]
^ Bristol Evening Post February 2012 - At-Bristol's new photovoltaic array [7]
[edit] | Tags: External links | 2>
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: At Bristol
Official At-Bristol Site
The Exploratory (archive site)
Director of At-Bristol's response to a critical article in Nature (original article is only available on pay or subscription)
v
t
e
Culture in Bristol
Venues
Bierkeller Theatre
Bristol Hippodrome
Bristol Old Vic
Colston Hall
list of artists
Cube Microplex
O2 Academy Bristol
QEH Theatre
Redgrave Theatre
St George's, Brandon Hill
The Thekla
Tobacco Factory
Victoria Rooms
Watershed Media Centre
Wickham Theatre
Winston Theatre
Festivals
Bristol Festival of Ideas
Bristol Festival of Nature
Bristol Harbour Festival
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Bristol International Kite Festival
Bristol Shakespeare Festival
St Pauls Carnival
Museums, galleries,
and public art
Arnolfini
Blaise Castle
Blaise Hamlet
At-Bristol
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
Bristol Harbour Railway
Bristol Zoo
Georgian House
Glenside Museum
Kings Weston Roman Villa
M Shed
Observatory
Red Lodge Museum
Royal West of England Academy
See No Evil
SS Great Britain
Parks
Parks of Bristol
Ashton Court
Blaise Castle
Brandon Hill
College Green
The Downs
Redland Green
Queen Square
Snuff Mills
St George Park
Past attractions
Ashton Court Festival
British Empire and Commonwealth Museum
Industrial Museum
Churches
All Saints'
Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Community Church
Buckingham Baptist Chapel
Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne
Christ Church, Clifton Down
Christ Church with St Ewen
Church of Holy Trinity, Hotwells
Church of Holy Trinity, Stapleton
Church of the Holy Trinity with St Edmund
Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol
City Road Baptist Church
Cotham Church
Counterslip Baptist Church
Clifton Cathedral
Crofts End Church
Holy Trinity Church, Kingswood
Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
New Room, Bristol
Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles
St Mary Redcliffe
Redland Chapel
St. Augustine Church (Bristol)
St Augustine the Less Church, Bristol
St George's Church, Brandon Hill
St James' Priory, Bristol
St John the Baptist, Frenchay
St Luke's Church, Brislington
St Mark's Church, Bristol
St Mary le Port Church, Bristol
St Mary on the Quay
St Mary's Church, Henbury
St Matthews Church, Cotham
St Michael on the Mount Without
St Nicholas, Bristol
St Peter and St Paul, Bristol
St Peter, Bristol
St Peters Church, Bishopsworth
St Philip and Jacob, Bristol
St Stephen's Church, Bristol
St Thomas the Martyr, Bristol
St Werburgh's Church, Bristol
St. Paul's Church, Bristol
Temple Church, Bristol
Trinity Centre
Whitefield's Tabernacle, Bristol
Whitefield's Tabernacle, Kingswood
Woodlands Christian Centre
Pubs
Black Castle Public House
Clifton Down railway station
The Coronation Tap
Hatchet Inn, Bristol
17 King Street, Bristol
King William Ale House
Llandoger Trow
Mauretania Public House
Nova Scotia, Bristol
The Old Duke
Old Post Office, Bristol
Palace Hotel, Bristol
Printers Devil, Bristol
Pump House, Bristol
Seven Stars Public House, Bristol
Shakespeare Inn, Bristol
Shakespeare Public House, Bristol
Stag and Hounds Public House
The Crown, Bristol
Clifton Lido and The Victoria Public House
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=At-Bristol&oldid=491556229"
Categories: Visitor attractions in BristolGrade II listed buildings in BristolBuildings and structures celebrating the third millenniumScience museums in the United KingdomBristol HarboursideMuseums in BristolHidden categories: Articles with a promotional tone from March 2012All articles with a promotional toneWikipedia introduction cleanup from March 2012All pages needing cleanup
Personal tools
Log in / create account
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
Actions
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a bookDownload as PDFPrintable version
This page was last modified on 9 May 2012 at 09:16.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply.
See Terms of use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Mobile view
if(window.mw){
mw.loader.state({"site":"loading","user":"ready","user.groups":"ready"});
}
if(window.mw){
mw.loader.load(["mediawiki.user","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.legacy.mwsuggest","ext.gadget.teahouse","ext.vector.collapsibleNav","ext.vector.collapsibleTabs","ext.vector.editWarning","ext.vector.simpleSearch","ext.UserBuckets","ext.articleFeedback.startup","ext.articleFeedbackv5.startup","ext.markAsHelpful","ext.pageTriage.startup"], null, true);
}
| Tags: Neutral Point Of View,Layout Guide,Websites related to: Amazing Optical Illusions Amazing Optical Illusions |