Jerzy Jarosz

Industrial tourism and science centres

The common mission and task connecting all the science centres worldwide is the promotion of modern, scientific communication To effectively attract the audience, science centres offer a wide spectrum of programmes, which meets a great interest of various social groups. Usually this requires a modular construction and offering content following at least few major leitmotives.

Is it necessary in each case? In order to exceed the critical mass, science centres have to be really big. Is it necessary in each case? Let us stop for a moment in Upper Silesia – a big conurbation of industrial cities where a number of different science centres have been arising in recent times.

Warszawa Katowice

One of them is the „Coal Valley”, a centre devoted to one theme only – the exceptional role of carbon in history of our civilization.   The „Coal Valley” is a small centre (no more than 350 m2 and about 30 exhibits only) which uses a single leading motive – the history of coal, from carboniferous forest, and its origin, through the period of exploitation of coal seams, to modern, carbon-based nanotechnologies.

Coal Valley

It is obvious that such a small and specialized science centre would be unable to function properly without any support. On the other hand it can be a wonderful supplement of other interesting and attractive places– for example a mining museum and the historical mine Queen Louise (where we embedded it).

Old mine Queen Louise

Another example of a specific science centre is „C12Park” – an interactive exposition located in the recreational area, on the earth’s surface, above the old, training mine. The „C12Park” is also designed to highlight only one idea – usage of elements of earth, water, air and fire as the sources of energy. This is also a specialized exposition, and is unable to work properly itself, but combined with the old coal mine domain and used as a specific playground for children and youth, may work successfully.

C12 Park

It is worth noticing, that in the design process of both the „Coal Valley” and the „C12Park”, the specific industrial character of Upper Silesia was used to support future functioning of these centres. We believe that the use of regional values and traditions may not only improve the work and attractiveness of science centres in general, but it is also a chance to endow each science centre located in a given region, with an individual character.

The Skłodowska-Curie Science Centre, which is to be opened in the heart of Katowice, will have strong references both to coal mining and metallurgical industry - the strongest industrial traditions of Upper Silesia.