MUSEThe ScienceMuseum of Trento
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Contents
MUSE 3The new Science Museum opens on 27 July 2013 in Trento 4The dream comes true 5The mountains of Renzo Piano 7The MUSE building’s key numbers 9A modern science center 10Where a visit becomes an exploration adventure 11The museum’s “special” spaces 12 Immersive 12 Sensorial 13 Unique and exclusive 14A space for building the future 15FabLab: hands-on science 16Maxi Ooh! Discovery starts with the senses 17Eastern Arc: the tropical mountain greenhouse 19Discovering MUSE 21 Floor +4 | High altitude, exploration 22 Floor +3 | Nature in the Alps 23 Floor +2 | The long history of the Dolomites, a world heritage site 24 Floor +1 | From the first men in the Alps to our global future 25 Floor 0 | Maxi-Ooh! and the Science Gymnasium 27 Floor -1 | Evolution, dinosaurs, DNA 27 The tropical mountain greenhouse 29An international research centre 30A network of different kinds of knowledge 32From the Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences to MUSE 34A new brand for a new museum 36
MUSE is a dinosaur footprint, telling the tale of evolution,
where mankind comes from and how it interacts with the
surrounding environment. MUSE is also an Alpine glacier,
with its extreme habitat, as well as a tropical greenhouse,
proof of the diversity and balance present in ecosystems
and of the need to protect our relationships with nature.
It is also an interactive forest, where children discover
nature and the world as they play, and even a 3D printer of a
FabLab, where ingenuity and the drive to overcome ancient
barriers lead mankind to devise a different future.
Evolution, environment, innovation, biodiversity,
experimenting: these are the elements that lead MUSE
visitors on the path towards a well-balanced relationship
between science, nature and society.
MUSE Active, attractive, memorable
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MUSE is a dream come true thanks to an important
investment in culture made by the Autonomous Province
of Trento. It is an open space where scientific and
technological knowledge is the tool used to study the
relationship between man and the environment and at
the same time to route future choices in sustainable
development.
The new Science Museum is ready to launch a new way of
interacting with the public: multi-media exhibits, interactive
games, hands-on experiments and the practical mixing
of culture with DIY are the informal educational tools with
which visitors can join the scientific debate about important
local and global issues.
The architectural structure, designed by Renzo Piano, is an
extraordinary added value. The building’s outline recalls the
profile of the surrounding mountains, with a finely balanced
contrast between empty and full spaces that adds charm
and prestige to the entire exhibition venue. Built to eco-
compatible criteria, MUSE is a model that sets the standard
for a green economy and for energy saving.
The new Science MuseumOpens on 27 July 2013 in Trento
The acronym ‘MUSE’ has been liberally taken from the
museum’s Italian name, “MUseo delle ScienzE”. It was
first used during the drafting of the cultural plan as an
operational term to indicate the new structure in a short-
hand form. Although it intentionally refers to the etymologic
origins of the word “museum”, in appreciation of the
values implicit in such institutions, designed to promote
conservation, MUSE is not a typical museum, since it
combines characteristics from both traditional natural
science museums and modern Science Centres. In MUSE,
moreover, this new layout is enriched by a strong social
element that underpins its vocation as a meeting place
providing dialogue for, and with, its visitors. MUSE has the
important aim of enhancing the local region, acting as a
social venue where people can discuss issues of global
importance.
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intended for visitors of all ages and levels of education.
The museum’s quest for a new role translated into the
creation and production of a large number of highly
acclaimed temporary exhibitions. The nature-oriented
themes were joined by new programs extended to energy
and sustainable development, interactive science games,
astronomy and mathematics. A rich program of educational
activities, aimed beyond solely naturalistic disciplines, was
also created.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Autonomous
Province of Trento identified the Tridentine Museum of
Natural Sciences as the perfect vehicle for adding culture to
the project of reclamation of the abandoned industrial area
formerly occupied by the Michelin factory. This area had
found itself encompassed by the spread of the city borders
and had thus become the subject (since 2001) of a plan for
its change in urban purpose.
In order to meet these expectations, and at the request of
the Autonomous Province of Trento, in 2003 the museum
prepared a Feasibility Study and started redefining its
cultural mission. This resulted in the choice of a perspective
totally focused on smart, sustainable and socially inclusive
growth. At the same time it drafted a new cultural program,
aware of its role of representative of the spirit of the Trentino
people in the search for a model of development - the key
MUSE, the Science Museum, originates from the Tridentine
Museum of Natural Sciences (Tridentine Museum of Natural
Science), a civic museum established in the mid-19th
century that over time became specialized in the field of
nature conservation.
A significant change occurred in the last decade of the 20th
century, when the museum, already an instrumental body
of the Autonomous Province of Trento since 1964, doubled
its commitment to nature-oriented scientific research by
acquiring the capability of carrying out information support
functions for local environmental planning projects and by
developing important international relationships. In those
same years, it started experimenting with new programs
for the public by adopting new communication languages
The dream comes trueNature and the future, a virtuous relationship
Trento, climate, 3D, environmental
education, sustainable future,
cultural emergency, Alps, society,
nature, civil defence, green
economy, science, landscape,
pedagogy, global thought
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objectives of which are good quality of life and a healthy
environment. So, in addition to this city-planning function,
the museum also actively contributed to the process of
qualification and overall reconsideration of Trentino’s future
that started to take shape at that time. The project for the
new MUSE therefore participated in the development of the
idea of Trentino as “a region of knowledge”, together with
the great changes that were introduced with the expansion
of the University of Trento and with the reconfiguration of
the local research foundations.
In view of the foregoing, and also thanks to the highly
prestigious architectural status deriving from the design by
Renzo Piano, MUSE is destined to become one of the most
important icons of the Trentino region, which enjoys a rich
cultural system comprising institutions of excellence such
as its great provincial museums, its nature reserves, its rich
program of festivals, its University, its research foundations
and the various public and private expressions of its
development and innovation.
The aim of the new museum is to be a centre of cultural
interpretation at the service of society, dedicated to
nature and to the promotion of sustainability, science and
innovation. In short, the representation, in the form of a
museum, of a project for the development of a region
designed to inspire its citizens and, at the same time, an
extraordinary venue for cultural tourism from all over the
world.
We consider the cultureof conserving nature as a vital value of our society, since conservation is:
• anethicalaimoflocalaswellasplanetaryimportance
• basictothesustainabledevelopmentoftheland
• afundamentalcomponentofthequalityoflifefor
residents and visitors alike.
We also consider as vitalthe task of supporting theculture of science and innovation,since this is:
• necessaryforthecultural,professionalandsocial
development of every individual
• indispensableforboostingcreativityandinnovation
• akeyelementinlocaldevelopmentprocesses.
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The mountains of Renzo
Sustainability, photovoltaic cells,
gold, geothermal, loft, zero miles,
rain water, LEED, 12,000 m2,
energy, renewable sources, big
void, Renzo Piano, zero gravity,
bamboo
it were reflected by it. Standing in the northern area of the
district, the museum also mediates the relationship with
the pre-existing precious building, Palazzo delle Albere
(that hosts the MART in Trento) and its lawns, creating a
functional yet respectful urban interaction with the same.
The museum building stretches from East to West for 130
metres on its longest side and is 35 metres wide from North
to South. It has two storeys underground and five above
ground (ground floor included). All of the above-ground
floors plus the -1 floor are dedicated to the visiting public
and to administration, service and research activities.
Floor -2 is essentially a parking lot. The architectural idea
is the result of the mediated balance between the need
for flexibility and the response, translated into precise and
coherent shapes, to the scientific content of the cultural
project. This is a museum in which the great exhibition
themes are mirrored by its shape and volumes but that
at the same time allows for ample flexibility in setting
up its spaces - all typical features of a next-generation
museum building. The structure consists of a sequence
of spaces and volumes, of plenums and voids, posed on a
large expanse of water on which they seem to float, thus
multiplying the effects and vibrations of light and shade.
The whole is held together, at the top, by the large slopes
of the roof that follow the internal shapes, creating a highly
distinctive outline.
The construction techniques pursue environmental
sustainability and energy saving criteria and are based on
a wide and diversified use of renewable resources and
high-efficiency systems. The building employs photovoltaic
panels and geothermal probes working to support a central
The structure designed and erected by the Renzo Piano
Building Workshop is a major showpiece of Italian
architecture. The building’s outline simulates the slopes
of the surrounding mountain peaks and the internal layout
of the exhibits on its various floors is a metaphor of the
mountain environment.
Moreover, MUSE stands in an urban and scenic context that
is the result of a single project vision aimed at the significant
requalification of this part of the city of Trento that is closest
to its river. The idea behind the city-planning concept that
underlies the entire project is to create a city fragment
complete with its framework, hierarchies and functional
complexities. It will encompass shopping, residential
and office areas, as well as areas of public interest, the
most interesting of which will be MUSE. Together with the
5-hectare public park, the museum also physically “hugs”
the whole new district, acting at the same time as an
important urban pole of attraction for the rest of the city.
This embrace is underscored by the theme of water that, in
the form of a canal, cuts through the entire area from South
to North and then duplicates the shape of the museum as if
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CCHP (combined cooling, heating and power) system
that serves the entire district. The museum’s functional
systems are all centralized and automated, exploiting
various renewable energy sources (especially solar energy
via the use of photovoltaic cells and solar panels, as well as
geothermal energy via the use of heat exchange probes).
The energy system is based on the careful design of the
layering, thickness and type of insulation used and of the
fixtures and shading systems, so as to optimise the energy
efficiency of the building. A sophisticated automatic brise-
soleil and curtain system driven by temperature and solar
radiation sensors reduces sun radiation during the hotter
summer hours and allows for more sunshine entering during
cold winter days.
Natural lighting and ventilation solutions in some areas of
the building help reduce energy consumption and make the
interior spaces more comfortable. Special solutions have
been adopted to increase energy saving, such as the cistern
that collects rainwater to be used for sanitary purposes, for
irrigating the greenhouse and for supplying fresh water to
the aquariums and the water moat surrounding the building,
thus cutting the use of hydro water by 50%.
The choice of building materials favours those from local
sources so as to limit transport pollution. Compliance
with sustainability and low-impact criteria is evident in the
particular and rather unusual choice of using Italian bamboo
for the wood flooring of the exhibition areas.
Wood is a substance consisting mainly of CO2 sequestered
from the atmosphere during the life of the plant. As regards
the fight against climate change, plants are antagonists to
the growth in CO2 levels in the atmosphere and therefore
antagonists to the increase in the so-called “greenhouse
gases”. Each volume of wood exiting the life cycle
corresponds to an almost equal quantity of sequestered
CO2.
As regards wood used in construction and flooring
applications, bamboo takes about four years to grow to the
right size for being sectioned into parquet laths. Traditional
tree wood of equal quality and hardness, such as larch,
for example, takes at least 40 years to grow as much. This
means that bamboo is a super-efficient CO2 remover and
its use in building construction or in interior decoration is
beneficial in reducing and limiting global climate change.
Thanks to cooperation with the Trentino Technological
District, the project has followed the procedures for
obtaining the Silver LEED® certification.
The LEED system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design), developed in the United States in 1998, provides
guidelines for sustainable design and construction
techniques reducing energy consumption, and consequently
building management and maintenance costs, as well as
emissions toxic to humans and the environment.
Finally, the project envisages the creation of a bicycle
parking area, equipped with changing rooms and showers,
and only a limited number of car parking slots, in order to
boost the visitors’ use of public transportation.
The museum, located near the cycling path, can be easily
reached by bicycle.
8.
800
500
3.700Permanent exhibitions
m2
200Maxi Ooh! children’s area
m2600Tropical greenhouse
m2
600Reception area and snacks
m2
1.800Storerooms and collections
m2
2.000Service areas
m2
800Research labs
m2
500Classrooms and educational
m2800Archives and library
m2
500Temporary exhibitions
m2
12.600Total overall surface
m2
900Offices
m2
200Conference hall (100 seats)
m2
The MUSEbuilding’skey numbers
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MUSE is a special place where everyone can meet the world
of research face to face and thereby cultivate scientific
curiosity and acquire the pleasure of knowledge.
The new museum is a blend of the contents and approach
of a traditional natural history museum with the new
themes and visitor-interaction methods of the world’s most
modern science centres. This translates into a new way of
involving the audience, i.e. by using interactive exhibits and
multimedia installations, by focusing on the interactions
between different disciplines and by giving visitors the
chance to make experiments first hand in laboratories open
to the public. In other words, the perfect blend between
“do it yourself” and informal learning tools, so as to build
an opinion of the world and then contribute with one’s own
views in the scientific debate on great local and global
issues. This way, MUSE is poised to become one of the most
innovative science museums in Europe.
At MUSE the visitor is stimulated to return to experience
continuously new exhibitions and gain more knowledge. It is
a hub of cultural exchange. It is a centre where action is as
important as study. For scientists it is a chance for exchange,
for parents it is the best investment in favour of their children.
Each and every centimetre of space is designed to stimulate
learning but also to offer relaxation, play, communication and
informal education.
A visit to the museum becomes a grand and personal
experiment of appropriation of knowledge, gained by
interacting in person with attractive installations. It is a
visit that stimulates the visitor’s curiosity, favours dialogue
with other visitors, the questioning of common sense, an
experience that stimulates the viewer to query his or her
convictions regarding nature, science and innovation.
The very shape of the building has been designed to indicate
from the outside what the visitor will experience within. Its
outline reminds one of the slopes of an Alpine mountain and
the mountain metaphor extends to the ‘summit to valley’
journey visitors take down through the permanent
exhibition spaces. Even the interior furnishings are especially
refined, set off by the uniquely original balance between the
exhibition spaces composed around a single, fascinating
“big void” space at the centre of the building, overlooked by
six floors of permanent exhibitions. Another fundamental
aspect of the uniqueness of this exhibition project is the
application of the “zero gravity” concept created by the
Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The architects use this term
to indicate an integrated method of creating the exhibition
apparatuses, i.e. featuring an effect of transparency and of
immateriality around which rotate the museum installations,
consisting of objects suspended using thin cables and that
seem to undulate within the MUSE. Tables, shelves, panels,
monitors and photographs hang from the ceiling or are
elevated from the floor using steel cables. The museum’s
interior style is based on the declination of horizontal planes
made of the same bamboo material of the floors, set off by
vertical transparent or opaque glass panes.
Maxi-Ooh!, Hands-on, corner,
sensory learning, dialogue,
culture, experimentation, pollution, well-being, touch,
debate, I’m coming back, creativity, experience
A modern science centreA great adventure for the mind
10.
The building’s shape, a mountain metaphor, sets and
underlines the top-downwards direction of the permanent
exhibition.
Once past the entrance, visitors experience a 360° sensorial
journey. They can feel cold air, can touch ice, walk through
a forest, observe a strange insect or gaze in the eyes of
a Neanderthal man. They can also map DNA, interview a
researcher working in the laboratories open to the public,
find answers to their questions by touching a screen, listen
to mountain noises, admire a dinosaur footprint, smell the
scent of the trees, look at the other side of the world, play
with a stuffed animal, understand the greenhouse effect,
build objects, print out a 3D project, watch the passing of
cosmic rays.
As they gradually descend from the fourth floor, visitors
pass from the renditions of mountain peaks occupied by
perennial snow and from the vertigo felt when using the
equipped passage, to the feeling of wonder in finding
their way through a “labyrinth of Alpine biodiversity” and
to observing how important the strong contrast between
seasons is. All this makes it fun and easy to understand
the phases of the formation of the Dolomite range, the
birth of the Alps and, with the ice ages, the onset of the
first communities of hunters-gatherers and the progressive
shaping of the landscapes, also due to the many millennia of
human activity.
The naturalist portion of the visit ends on the floor -1 with a
tale that leads the visitors to discover the origins of life, and
then on to the largest dinosaur exhibition in the Alps.
This vertical tale, that sheds light on the natural dimension
of the Alpine territory and that develops from the top
downwards, is intertwined with a horizontal tale that
establishes a dialogue between the Alpine range and the
rest of the world, between local and global commitment,
between conservation of nature and science and technology
for sustainable development.
This entails a space dedicated to civil defence, understood
as the capacity to intervene and prevent environmental
risk. Visitors will discover a unitary path of techniques and
transformations of the land that leads from Alpine pre-
history to the limits of planetary sustainability consisting of
population growth, loss of biodiversity and climate change.
And will discover that our future depends on how we will
interact with scientific knowledge and with technology to
ensure smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Peak, climate change, mines,
aquarium, Dolomites, geology,
biodiversity, high altitude, dinosaurs, evolution
Where a visit becomesan exploration adventureAdventure and learning. A new way to visit a museum
11.
ImmersiveFrom the visitor’s viewpoint, MUSE offers an extensive
range of stimuli. There are areas we like to call
“immersive”, namely spaces inside which the visitor
loses his or her relationship with the external envelope
that is the museum and becomes totally immersed in a
virtual world consisting of 360° projections made even
more realistic by Dolby surround effects.
The first of these is the large tunnel called “Glacial
experience”. It is the visitor’s first contact with the
itinerary that starts on the fourth floor. It is a 10-metre-
long multi-vision space inside which the visitor
experiences the impression of flying above the Alps
as if on the wings of an eagle, breathtaking descents
on extreme-grade slopes, the thrilling and yet terrible
experience of an avalanche, as well as the sublime
feeling of witnessing
a star-lit night sky in the Dolomites.
The Biodiversity Labyrinth, on the third floor, is a space
within which the visitor is projected into the various
planes at different altitudes, from high Alpine meadows
down to forests and beech woods. In this manner the
quick succession of different Alpine panoramic views
helps the visitor appreciate the difference in habitats as
they occur from the highest peaks to the bottom of the
valleys.
The Time machine, on the first floor, is a veritable
multimedia cave. Inside this immersive space, scenes of
prehistoric life are projected on the walls and centrally-
located screens. It is a totally new kind of technological
space that, technically speaking, is one of the most
innovative elements of the entire visit. The flickering of
a fireplace reflected on the walls of a cave creates the
backdrop for a shamanistic rite set in the prehistoric site
called Riparo Dalmeri (Dalmeri Shelter), that has been
studied by the museum for the past 20 years and that,
with its painted rocks, is the most ancient and richest
“repository” of Alpine pre-history (dating back to approx.
13,000 years ago). The scene of a Neanderthal man using
a flint-stone knife to prepare his hunted game shows a
moment of everyday life linked to survival.
Finally, the visit ends at the -1 underground floor with
a voyage to discover the “unit of measurement of life”,
Darwin’s extraordinary discovery and the roots of human
nature through the research conducted on DNA, the
molecule that is the expression of genetic heredity. This
project is co-produced with Giovanni Carrada, the author
of the popular TV series “Super Quark”, and leaves the
visitor with the awareness that DNA is the unique archive
of past and present biodiversity and at the same time the
source of its future possibilities: our responsibility today
more than ever.
The museum’s “special” spaces
12.
SensorialWho can say that knowledge is gained solely through
observation and reasoning? MUSE offers a series of
“hands-on” experiences that are to be assimilated using
all of the senses.
On the fourth floor, parallel to the immersive tunnel, there
is an equipped passage, a sort of ledge along a high
mountain trail with real rock and ice to touch and, down
into the valley... the unhindered view of the five floors
below, all the way to the bottom floor.
On the third floor, dedicated to biodiversity, is the
Discovery room, a space especially intended for the
younger visitors (aged 4 - 8), that they can enjoy alone,
with their parents or with a facilitator.
The space and the objects placed at their disposal offer
children the chance to explore the natural world that
surrounds them via use of their senses.
One of MUSE’s main architectural and exhibit attractions
is the “Big void”, a large space that joins the six floors,
extending from the skylight to the underground floor,
where the dinosaurs are. Inside this space, of great
visual impact, taxidermied animals are positioned on
suspended platforms. The central space of the void is
populated by an ascending spiral of winged animals
ranging from flying reptiles to high altitude birds. The
sequence of the various species, shown in poses that
are typical of their everyday life in nature, corresponds
to their distribution according to altitude in the Alps and
ends with the species linked to man via domestication.
The visual and scenic impact is made even more unique
by a set of vertical screens that create a dynamic
and ever-changing narration of stories linked to the
mountains, enriched by acoustic suggestions.
13.
Unique and exclusiveMaxi Ooh!is an area exclusively reserved for the youngest visitors
(aged 0 - 5) who, together with their parents, can touch,
see and hear via real and virtual sensorial stimuli: an
area where the thrill of discovery starts with the senses.
The main architectural elements of the Maxi Ooh! area
are three large coloured bubbles that seem to fluctuate
inside the glass-paneled room. This is a place where
children and adults can dive into sounds, where they can
colour spaces with their presence and where they can
discover, be stimulated and hear with their ears and with
their whole body, where they can draw with their voice
as well as with their hands. It is an oasis where they can
relax and live a new way of visiting a museum. Maxi Ooh!
focuses on creativity and the adult/child relationship in
the quest for a free and subjective exploration of the
world, and for the development of knowledge.
Relaxation areaThis area is dedicated to relaxation and to meeting the
primary needs of small children (nursing, rest, snacks).
The science gymnasiumBeyond the “Big Void”, southwards, is the “Hands-on”
area dedicated to the interaction between visitors and
scientific equipment and experiments. Here visitors
will find a set of suspended objects and machines that
faithfully reproduce physical phenomena.
Science on a sphereThis is the first example of this kind of installation in Italy.
The sphere is the beating heart of the area dedicated
to sustainability. The great suspended globe illustrates
the complex environmental processes in an intuitive and
viewer-friendly way. The video projections depicting the
atmospheric and oceanic dynamics in real time lead
the visitor on a trip into environmental sciences and
forecasting the weather of the future.
In my opinionNext to the sustainability gallery is an area for exchange
and discussion, for informal presentations and debates.
Regular programs alternate with temporary exhibitions.
Two interactive tables favour the exchange of ideas
among visitors in order to boost and encourage their
participation in political choices affecting scientific
issues.
14.
To learn how our environment has changed since
the beginning of history to our present times means
understanding a journey of over 200,000 years, which
involves the joint evolution of humanity’s technological
skills and its relationship with nature and the landscape.
This is one of the strongest and most innovative
conceptual focuses of MUSE. The exhibition floor
dedicated to pre-history with its succession of themes
and experiences that are totally new to the international
museum scene, presents a refreshingly simple and
direct viewpoint. Today’s society is the result of a course
of techniques and of a network of territories. As the
techniques multiplied, the presence of mankind changed.
From the industrial revolution onwards, technological
progress has increasingly impacted on the environment;
here in the 21st century we now understand its true
implications for Earth’s fragile ‘planetary limits’, such as
biodiversity loss, the advance of desertification, climate
change and the global increase in extreme weather
events. Consequently, the forecast scenarios and the
development programs promoted by the European Union
within the framework of the Europe 2020 program have
identified three main axes, i.e. economy, environment
and society, along which to build the idea of the future of
our continent. This is why MUSE has elected as primary
feature of its philosophy the dialectic and constructive
relationship between development and environmental
sustainability and the relationship with the role played by
our contemporary society.
Knowledge, logic, awareness: these should be key
attitudes of the model contemporary citizen. And yet
it is not enough. Today citizens are called to take up
a position and to act accordingly in order to address
and solve these globally important problems. In this
respect, MUSE offers the chance to interact, to learn, to
take home good practices in environmental and social
A space for building the futureLearning, thinking and experimenting in order to address today’s challenges with awareness, and forge our tomorrow
sustainability. Concretely, it points towards sustainable
growth by means of the search for innovative solutions,
including the use of new technologies. Each and
every one of us can be a part of this research, of this
innovation and of this collective debate. Every one of us,
in short, can help build his or her own future.
Reflection, experimentation, a cue for the visitor to
return and acquire new educational experience and
informal knowledge: MUSE has targeted a very wide
range of visitors by choosing not to focus on a specific
age group. It supports tourism by attracting visitors who
wish to discover the thousands of relations between the
MUSE’s themes and the Alpine territory, and in particular
curious and attentive families, a must in the museum’s
tradition, and school groups that find an exceptional
educational tool in the many exhibitions and workshops
offered. All this in order to help understand the paths
to be followed in the fields of energy and of respect for
natural resources, widening the view to encompass what
new technology and biotechnology can offer, so as to
take steps towards a harmonious symbiosis between
mankind and the environment.
This is where the investment in future generations
begins.
It may come as a surprise, though, that MUSE also
welcomes young “nerds”, i.e. the aficionados of
new technologies, young people in search of places
where they can test their skills in interacting with new
technologies in a laboratory designed especially for
them. School groups, families, young people and “start
uppers” have at their disposal a Digital Fabrication
laboratory, which is another way of finalizing the
reasoning about our future. Knowledge, awareness and
responsibility: the future is in our hands and it is up to us
to design and plan it!
15.15.
A 21st-century museum is no longer solely a collection of
a large number of valuable objects on display. Nowadays
it offers technology, innovation and interactivity so as
to make its visitors participate in science. A valuable
example of this, to be found within MUSE, is personal
digital fabrication. The FabLab (fabrication laboratory) is
a small workshop open to the public that offers tools for
“personal digital fabrication” such as 3D printers, laser
cutters, vinyl plotters, an array of Arduino processors,
etc... The FabLab concept was created at the MIT in
Boston about ten years ago for a course called “How To
Make (Almost) Anything“. The idea met with immediate
success and soon leaked from the campuses to the
rest of the world. Today there are more than 60 FabLabs
throughout the world. The MUSE FabLab will be put in
direct contact with other FabLabs operating at several
Italian enterprise incubators but will operate within the
global network in order to exchange proposals and
objects with the rest of the world.
But what’s a fabrication laboratory? It’s a place where
you can exchange ideas and make projects, a space in
which anyone can design and build their own objects.
Many think that only small models or toys can be made
in a fabrication laboratory, but in actual fact one can
conceive food products, design, furniture, musical
instruments, research, technology. Someone has even
used it to “print” a whole house!
In addition to being a place for creatives, a fabrication
laboratory is also a place for learning and training. It is a
laboratory made for solving local problems, a community
of resources and skills, a platform for social and
economic innovation. More in general, it’s a place where
one can talk, discuss the future and fabricate almost
anything. Next to the MUSE FabLab is the “Innovation
Showroom”. This area is dedicated to start-ups or
innovative firms invited to present their products, not
for sale but for showing us how sustainability-oriented
innovation is part of the process of development and
growth of a territory’s ability to invent its own future
and construct creative and quality job opportunities.
A specific committee, consisting of the province’s
stakeholders in the fields of research, innovation and
development, will work with MUSE in selecting the
enterprises to be invited. With its Showroom, MUSE
is poised to become a permanent showcase for the
creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of Trentino in the field
of innovation development aimed at the achievement of
a sustainable, durable and desirable future.
FabLab: hands-on scienceThe Digital Fabrication laboratoryworthy of a 21st-century science museum
FabLab, interactive, nerd,start-up, innovation showroom,
sustainability, durable future,
creativity, economy, environment,
society, digital fabrication,Arduino, 3D printers, solid prototyping
16.
An experience that is astonishing, thrilling, captivating.
As thrilling as science that is done, thought out,
experienced. A space dedicated to children because
MUSE wants even its very youngest visitors to
experience the processes of discovery, thinking,
observation and experimenting. It begins with what they
know how to do best: touch, smell, look and see, hear.
Maxi Ooh! is a place that encourages just
that - experimentation with the senses by providing
ever-diverse and original opportunities for doing so.
Indeed, Maxi Ooh! appears as a netutral place in terms
of lines and colors. It seems almost suspended, waiting.
This is when no one is inside. It doesn’t move if no one
moves, it doesn’t show anything if there isn’t someone
doing something.
But when children enter to admire the room, Maxi Ooh! opens up to experiences of wonder, discovery and
knowledge. Maxi Ooh! expresses the feelings of those
inside it. It lights up in colour and moves in dialogue
with the thoughts, the actions and gestures of the
“inhabitant”. It vibrates with the curiosity that drives to
explore, with the richness of the gestures one may make
and the paths one can take to meet the world.
Maxi Ooh! is an experience capable of opening horizons
beyond the usual ones for children who always look
with wide-open and bright eyes and open mind at
whatever is interesting, non-customary, enriching and
even amusing, at what they have already or never seen,
touched, smelled or tasted. The things they know -
and those they don’t, because they anyhow feel their
greatness and, at the same time, their vicinity. Maxi Ooh!
is big: in the project it grew up to occupy 200 m2, also in
response to the requirements of the people interviewed
who requested a museum attentive to children’s needs,
and this is just the beginning - the beginning of life and
of knowledge. In the glass-encompassed space, the
coloured spheres offer the opportunity for exploration
and conquest. As passing planets, just stopping by, they
convey the idea of being finite and at the same infinite,
of cells and of hyperspace, of research that observes the
infinitely small and perceives the infinitely large.
Maxi Ooh! is a metaphor. It does not prescribe, it
suggests, immediately becoming a place of trust, where
everything joyously interacts with the senses. Each
sphere is dedicated to a specific sense, but children
know how to keep them together - they experiment
and learn with everything, with their body, mind and
emotions. A body that moves and causes movement,
that listens and creates with the voice, that is curious
Maxi Ooh! Discovery startswith the sensesA discovery experience for very small children
Intelligent Technology that responds to action, that can
feel, Soft, Babult (baby + adult),
Attentive, Welcoming, Touchable,
Sensitive, Creative, Beautiful
17.
and explores, that reveals secrets and is charmed. It
is a space without indications, where not even adults
teach but participate in the amazement. This is why the
audience of Maxi Ooh! is made up of babults – pairs
consisting of children (babies) and accompanying
grown-ups (adults) – who all together discover the
ambient, build up experience and share a new way of
staying together. Sensorized floors, walls, rooms, virtual
and real, which react and change in step with the space
and its possible uses.
Even the water in the washroom may move in new ways,
just like the changing lights and the different surfaces
that provide the skin with various sensations,
according to the choices and levels of curiosity
of the visitor entering it.
Inside and among the spheres, the game of science is
born and evokes the elements of life, sending back to
the children an idea of themselves as creators of unusual
scenarios.
Maxi Ooh! is a place in which one feels good,
a place as pleasant and interesting as the discovery
that starts from one’s senses and goes beyond them to
become knowledge to share with others.
Maxi Ooh! is a place for childrenwith- children
relations and relations between children and the adults
accompanying them. It is a place that allows adults to
better understand, to learn a bit more from the children,
to rediscover the authenticity and beauty of science.
Science, not magic, because it’s all true and yet
surprising. For children aged 0 to 5 and their parents or
caregivers. Too bad, all the others might exclaim!
EUROPE 2020
The European Commission has launched the Europe
2020 strategy for overcoming the current financial crisis
and preparing the EU economy for the next decade.
There are three key priorities and five headline targets
for boosting the economic system and for promoting
“smart, sustainable and inclusive” growth based on
greater coordination among national and European
policies.
3 key priorities:
smart growth: development of an economy based on
education and innovation
sustainable growth: promotion of a more effective
economy in terms of resources, greener and more
•Innovationunion
•DigitalagendaforEurope
•Anindustrialpolicyfortheglobalisationera
• Europeanplatformagainstpoverty
• Youthonthemove
• Resource-efficientEurope
• Anagendafornewskillsandjobs
18.
competitive;
inclusive growth: promotion of an economy with high
labour rates, favouring social and local cohesion.
These are structured in seven flagship initiatives:
The greenhouse will host the unique and exclusive
endemic plant species of the Eastern Arc mountains in
Tanzania, thus giving visitors the chance to appreciate up
close the great diversity in shapes and colours of one of
our planet’s greatest biodiversity hotspots and indicating
with precision the traditional uses and medicinal values
of the more significant species. Visitors will thus be able
to admire the scented flowers of Tabernaemontana, so
similar to jasmine, touch the water-filled trunks of wild
banana trees, walk through the fascinating fronds of tree
ferns and discover the natural habitat of African violets,
those most popular of houseplants. There will be food
plant species carefully chosen to highlight agricultural
biodiversity, with special focus on local varieties and on
the less well-known and more typical African species,
such as oyster nut, arrow root, caiano, bambara, fonio,
sorghum, African beans, sweet potatoes, etc... To com-
plete the reconstruction of the agricultural landscape,
the greenhouse will also contain other species of global
interest, such as cocoa, coffee, tea, pepper, vanilla, sugar
The Eastern Arc:the tropical mountain greenhouseA project ranging from researchto international cooperation
cane, oil palm, banana and teak, for example, in order to
illustrate the impact that global markets have on tropical
lands and how the consumptions of the western world
influence and alter the landscape cultivated in tropical
areas. Finally, a special section will be dedicated to tro-
pical cosmetic plants, such as argan, jojoba and karité,
used in most of our cosmetic products. The greenhou-
se will also be home to small animals: birds, reptiles,
amphibians and invertebrates as well as many tropical
frog and butterfly species. All of this will be contained
in 600 square metres of forest, enlivened by a grand,
roaring waterfall and featuring the perpendicularity of the
steep cliffs and inclinations typical of those mountains. A
comfortable pathway leads the visitors-explorers on an
imaginary ascent of the Udzungwa mountains, starting
off from the valley of the Kilombero River, passing next to
rural huts and crossing through a small street market at
which they can taste unusual foods and admire traditio-
nal artefacts. The voyage proceeds through the pristine
forest (“msitu” in the Swahili language), to discover
19.
tropical trees, flowers and animals, observe the traditio-
nal uses of the same and appreciate their uniqueness
and fragility. At the end of this incredible voyage visitors
can accept the museum’s invitation to collaborate in
the international conservation and cooperation projects
under way to reduce poverty and support the education
and development of local populations while respecting
one of the world’s most threatened environments. Great
attention has been paid to the greenhouse’s functionality
and sustainability via the application of the best possible
technologies, so as to minimize energy consumption
and favour water and power savings. Among the many
measures adopted to this end is the glass vault that pro-
vides excellent illumination and insulation; the adiabatic
reutilization of heat and water during ventilation cycles;
pre-heating and pre-cooling of the air by means of an
underground duct; the use of low environmental impact
products coming from effectively renewable sources;
integrated control of the most widespread pathogens.
The greenhouse is the symbolic place of encounter
between faraway environments linked to the culture of
and the respect for mountains, set forth with the spirit
of collaboration that has always been a key element of
Trentino’s outlook on the rest of the world.
20.
The main visit itinerary starts on the MUSE’s terrace
for a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape
encompassing the city, the river, the mountains on
the horizon and the sky, and then continues from the
fourth floor down to the tropical greenhouse.
+ 5 Terrace
+ 4 High altitude, Exploration
+ 3 Nature in the Alps
+ 2 Geology of the Dolomites Civil Defence Temporary exhibitions
+ 1 Alpine pre-history and Sustainability Planetarium FabLab BioLab Meeting room
0 Entrance hall Maxi-Ooh! children’s area Interactive Museum - 1 Evolution Biology Temporary exhibitions
- 1 Tropical greenhouse
Discovering MUSEThe exhibition galleries
21.
FLOOR +4HIGH ALTITUDE, EXPLORATION
Main themes:
• Summitsandglaciers-theAlpsandbeyond
• Lifeformsandadaptation
• Glaciermonitoring
• Climatechange
• Explorersandmountaineers
• ManandNatureathighaltitudes
High-altitude mountains have always been a place of
fascination for travellers and explorers, bringing them
closer to peaks and glaciers, a rigid world with extreme,
yet intriguing and mysterious environmental conditions.
The “highest” exhibition galleries of the museum guide
visitors across the mountain tops, astonishing them with
live sensations that can be experienced only there, and
transmitting to them the importance of learning about
the geological and biological elements of the Alps, that
are physically distant but constantly in close relationship
with mankind. Inside an immersive tunnel, they will
experience high altitude emotions with breathtaking
flights above the peaks of the Alps and Dolomites, the
glaciers and forests. Even the noises and impressions
will be those of the Alpine landscape with its specific
dynamics and evolutions. A video wall shows visitors
the real-time weather and climate situation of several
locations in Trentino and elsewhere in the Alps and
a direct view of Everest transmitted by a webcam
installed at an elevation of 8,000 metres above sea level.
One exhibit area is dedicated to the description of the
glacial environment via a large-sized reconstruction of
an Alpine glacier and of its typical geomorphological
elements; another is dedicated to the glaciers of the
world and their social, environmental, economic, energy-
related and scientific importance. The exhibition area is
enriched by images, videos and tales of key moments in
glaciological research. Obviously, mention is also made
of the first explorers to venture into unknown Alpine
valleys and to set foot on mountain peaks in order to be
able to describe their naturalistic aspects. There are also
stories told by “historical” mountaineers who wandered
the mountains with sportsmanlike spirit, presented
together with the mountaineering equipment of the
times: old-style crampons, ice axes, hemp ropes and
pitons. The result is an itinerary enriched by the unique
sensations that high altitude mountains offer, from the
reading of “ice logs” to the mementoes of past explorers
and climbers attracted to the summits, and by the feeling
of mystery that emanates from these remote places.
Must-sees:
An equipped bridge along which, as they walk, visitors
can experience the depth and sensation of the big void
on the one side and, on the other side, physically touch a
glacier front consisting of real rocks, vegetation and ice,
observing up close the biological and geomorphological
elements composing the areas modelled by the glacier’s
fluctuations.
An ice core, extracted by Italian researchers in
Antarctica, that through the “reading” of the various ice
strata allows a reconstruction of past climate.
22.
FLOOR +3NATURE IN THE ALPS
Main themes:
• Alpinefloraandfauna
• Adaptationsandsurvivalstrategies
• Ecosystems
Biodiversity in the Alps – a veritable “vertical mosaic”
of different environments populated by animal and
plant species perfectly adapted, and for this reason
unique – is the pivotal centre around which the exhibition
galleries on the 3rd floor rotate. This is where visitors are
presented with the themes of environmental complexity,
of ecosystem-based relations between animal and plant
species and of survival strategies linked, among other
things, to the marked difference between the seasons.
The gallery called “The Biodiversity Labyrinth” offers
an imaginary descent along a mountain trail that
crosses through 26 different environments, including
two aquariums, seamlessly blending one into the other
to create mutual interconnections. The aim of this
suggestive installation is to inspire in the visitor the same
emotions felt in the real natural mountain environment,
such as the encounter with wild animals, the listening
to their calls, the watching of a preying action and of
courting rituals. Each environment is revealed in an
intuitive and striking way using communication methods
that range from the use of taxidermied animals “frozen”
in plastic postures to that of interactive virtual surface
technology. The marked difference between seasons
in Alpine habitats is used to link the highlight panels of
the “Changing with the seasons” gallery, dedicated to
migration, to flowering and pollination, to life in the water
and to thermoregulation. Natural findings, taxidermied
animals and replicas, documentaries and video diaries,
interactive exhibits and multimedia games help visitors
gain a deeper insight into adaptation for survival in
environments that change drastically throughout the
four seasons. A special area dedicated to the desire
to learn and discover is reserved for young visitors
and to the adults accompanying them: the discovery
room called “Explore the forest”, containing a large
tree to be explored, corners dedicated to dressing and
to interactive game activities, and a panel of drawers
filled with findings and natural objects at the disposal
of budding scientists. This space has been specifically
designed for young children, aged 4 to 8, to be enjoyed
alone, with their parents or with a facilitator. The space
and the objects placed at their disposal offer children the
chance to explore the natural world that surrounds them
via the use of the senses. The overall atmosphere of
the room is quite captivating and stimulates the natural
curiosity typical of small children while introducing them
to the “scientific” discovery concept. Its key features
are the multi-sensorial and interactive approach, the
recreational and emotional aspect, the ability to stimulate
children’s curiosity and allow them to independently seek
the solutions and answers to the queries posed.
Must-sees:
The stuffed animals, including the wolf next to the golden
jackal (the first proof of its recent arrival in Trentino), and
the micro-dioramas, such as the large Formica rufa ant
nest, the inside of which can be explored by visitors.
The small stratagems that bring the labyrinth to life.
The chance to explore using the senses.
An interactive and dynamic game for four players that
brings together speed, focus and reflexes, in which you
can play the part of the prey or of the predator, both
always quite hungry!
The migration game that leads the visitor along the
various stages of this long and epic journey.
23.
FLOOR +2THE LONG HISTORYOF THE DOLOMITES,A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Main themes:
• GeologyoftheAlpsandDolomites
• Geologicalandtectonicphenomena
• Mininghistory
• Theuseofundergroundresources
• Geologicalhazards
• Environmentalhazards
• Civildefence
The itinerary introduces visitors to the geomorphological
evolution of the Alps by means of a multimedia-rich
voyage enhanced by a selection of geological objects
(rocks, fossils and minerals). The exhibition is an
invitation to discover through entertainment the evolution
of the geological environments of the past - ancient
mountains, volcanoes, deserts, tropical seas, coral
reefs and ocean depths that preceded the Alps. Visitors
can get acquainted with the geodynamic process that,
as a result of the incredible pressure forces generated
during Alpine orogeny, caused the ancient ocean beds
to lift above sea level and then fold back and break, thus
forming the Alps. The first part of the itinerary ends with
the geomorphological processes that occurred and are
still ongoing in Earth’s recent history, such as glaciation,
mass wasting and karstification. Their combined action
has resulted in the Alpine landscape we admire today.
In the second part of the exhibition, the focus shifts
to the relationship between mankind and the abiotic
dimension of the natural environment. The section
dedicated to mineral resources stresses the importance
of the role these “raw materials” played among
prehistoric Alpine populations and up until our present
time, leaving evident traces of this in the landscape as
well as in the history and social fabric of mountain
peoples. The itinerary ends with the illustration of
geological and environmental hazards and with the
vulnerability of the Alpine territory. Via the simulation
of possible disaster scenarios connected to natural
phenomena such as earthquakes, landslides, avalanches
and floods, visitors can observe and interact with the
complex civil defence machine.
Must-sees:
The tropical seawater aquarium containing a typical
coral reef ecosystem that illustrates the environment
where the rocks that comprise the Dolomitic massifs
formed.
Cave with Pepper’s ghost effects, a special optical
illusion technique, steeps visitors in an underground
karst environment with its typical stalactites, stalagmites,
remains of Ursus spelaeus and archeological findings,
and shows them how speleologists work.
How to address a natural disaster: an interactive
multimedia station offers visitors the chance to walk
in the shoes of a civil defence operator and learn to
address various kinds of natural hazards. This means
taking decisions, measuring and using weather, hydro-
geologic and seismic data, contact and despatch rescue
teams and teams of expert geologists, engineers, forest
rangers, etc.
Mountain floods: what defence? An interactive exhibit
that illustrates flood protections in the mountains.
Visitors will learn how the weirs built along Alpine
streams help defend the inhabitants of human
settlements in the event of heavy rainfalls.
24.
FLOOR +1FROM THE FIRST MEN IN THE ALPS TO OUR GLOBAL FUTURE
Main themes:
• HumansettlementoftheAlps
• Hunter-gatherers
• TheprehistoricsiteRiparoDalmeri
• Cityplanningandinfrastructures
• Environmentalimpactanalysis
• Sustainability
• Economyandsociety
• Showroomoftechnologicalinnovation
A spiral-shaped structure invites visitors to enter the
world of prehistory. The main local findings on display at
MUSE are kept in glass cases, and illustrate the key
phases of the cultural, economic and social evolution in
the prehistory of the Alps: the presence of Neanderthal
men in the southern Alpine ranges during the warmer
phases of the latest glacial period of the middle
Paleolithic; the arrival of Homo sapiens at the end of the
great glaciations in the late Paleolithic and their spread
to the inner valleys of the Alps during the Mesolithic; the
onset of agriculture and livestock raising in the Neolithic
and the great technological innovations brought on with
the processing of metals in proto-history.
25.
Multimedia equipment provides thematic insights
stemming from the exhibits on display, while the
reproduction of human figures performing everyday
activities enliven the exhibition, drawing the visitor
into an immersive space where videos enhance the
suggestion and excitement of living in prehistoric times.
Two aquariums host lake species in two archeological
contexts: a high altitude site and a lake-dwelling site.
The corridor leading to the next gallery introduces the
visitor to the contemporary theme of sustainability via a
sensorial exhibit that illustrates the speed at which our
technological world is evolving.
The present & the future,fit for mankind
The evident changes in the delicate balances of the soil,
oceans, atmosphere and bio-geo-chemical cycles of our
planet, as well as the excessive loss rates in biodiversity
caused by anthropogenic pressure, have had dire effects
on Earth’s stability. The intrinsic correlation and the
extreme complexity of natural systems make any kind
of forecast difficult. The attempt to provide an answer
to this question is the beating heart of this exhibit
consisting of a suspended interactive sphere that helps
explain complex environmental processes in a way that
is simultaneously intuitive and captivating, while all
around the themes concerning economy, society and
technology are tackled, taking visitors on a voyage in
search of a paradigm capable of contemplating a culture
of the limit and of complexity.
Finally, in the FabLab everyone can become the star of
an innovative technology: their own. Given the chance
to design and print their own inventions in 3D, visitors
can realise their own made-to-measure technological
artefacts. In the FabLab it will also be possible to
download and print in 3D an object invented in the USA
or in China. The very concept of open source expands
and moves from the software to the hardware.
Must-sees:
Time machine: a thrilling voyage back in time to see how
our prehistoric ancestors lived, from the Neanderthal
hunters to the shaman of the Riparo Dalmeri site, and to
observe high altitude hunting scenes, the crafting of clay
artefacts, life in lake dwellings and the votive pyres of
protohistory.
Painted stones at the Riparo Dalmeri site: over 200
stones with ochre paintings depicting ibex, bison, plants
and human figures are the unique and exceptional
evidence of the spiritual aspects in the lives of the
prehistoric hunters who lived in the Alpine valleys.
Interactive NOAA sphere: NOAA (National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration) researchers have designed
a special software to illustrate the Earth System science
to visitors of all ages.
Animated images of atmospheric storms, the
consequences of climate change, the movement of the
continents and much more can be shown on the sphere
to explain natural processes. The spherical shape of the
screen on which the images are projected provides a
clear view of our planet’s dynamics.
26.
FLOOR 0Maxi-Ooh!AND THE SCIENCE GYMNASIUM
The ground floor contains two absolutely novel
exhibition spaces. One is called Maxi-Ooh! and is
dedicated to small children, and the other is the
Science Gymnasium, the hands-on area designed to
allow visitors to interact with lab equipment and try out
science experiments.
Maxi-Ooh! is an exclusive sensorial space for children,
where their senses of hearing, touching and seeing
are stimulated via the use of heated floors, sensorised
rooms, video projections, virtual interactions and even
an interactive washroom. Children can learn and have
fun together with a parent or accompanying adult, facing
their first action experiences in the world.
The Science Gymnasium is a hands-on space focused
on the interaction between visitors and scientific
equipment and experiments. It is populated with a series
of suspended objects and machines that reproduce true
physical phenomena.
For a more detailed description, see page 14.
FLOOR -1EVOLUTION, DINOSAURS, DNA
Main themes:
• TheEarth’sorigins
• Evolutionofthefirstlifeforms
• Lifeexplodesintheseasandondryland
• Landandwaterreptiles,dinosaurs
• Thediversificationofmammals
• DNAandbiotechnology
• Solidarityamongpeoples
This floor is a constituent element of the MUSE project,
in that it addresses themes such as evolution, focuses
on the relationship between man and nature, examines
biological processes and DNA dynamics. More: it offers
the audience the fascinating history of dinosaurs, while
still retaining the common theme of informal learning
through interactive experience, play and observation.
The exhibition starts with five land reptiles, including
three dinosaurs, their fossil footprints and other small
findings narrated using monitors, explanatory panels
and graphics. Opposite these are four marine reptiles
and, hanging from above, the skeleton of a flying reptile.
Reptiles and mammals are the scientific pretext for
27.
analysing mass extinction phenomena.
The itinerary begins with a set of suspended showcases
that narrate the formation of the Solar System and of
planet Earth, guiding the visitor on a journey of over
four billion years back in time to see the conditions
that produced the first forms of life, the subsequent
evolutionary explosion of life in the seas and the
conquest of dry land. Further on, we find the evolution
of mammals, with skeletons and models of living
mammals and fossils. The story of the discovery of
biological diversification is then followed by a compelling
explanation of evolution and DNA using two multimedia
installations. The first, called “The tree of life”, is a large
dynamic projection revealing the ceaseless unravelling
of evolutionary courses and the connections existing
between more or less similar species. Secondly, the DNA
installation is a space that illustrates the unifying aspect
of DNA across all life forms, ours included, and explains
its uniqueness, evolution and functional mechanisms.
The narrations are completed with amazing exhibits and
objects linked to the narration, “special” in that they are
different from those previously encountered by the visitor
in the rest of the museum.
Must-sees:
The bizarre organisms of the Burgess Shale Fauna: an
extraordinary laboratory of evolution over 500 million
years old. Unique reconstructions lead visitors to
discover incredibly shaped arthropods and the first
representatives of the animal group to which we belong,
the Chordates.
The Dinosaurs of the Dolomites. Up until the end of the
20th century, the presence of dinosaurs in Italy was
thought to be highly improbable. A series of exceptional
fossil finds, many of them in the Dolomites, have proved
otherwise . The Dinosaur Gallery showcases large
skeletons of reptiles and dinosaurs and describes their
habits and the enigmatic traces of their passage.
28.
THE TROPICALMOUNTAIN GREENHOUSE
The tropical greenhouse is a vital part of the museum
project. It is a veritable “hothouse” designed to grow
and conserve a rainforest. It survives thanks to complex
functional dynamics and requires specific temperature
and humidity settings to keep its insects, plants and
animals alive.
This area is an interpretation of planetary biodiversity
within a global context of sustainability. It is a fragile
environment, constantly at risk and threatened, and is
a paradigm of the need to find alternative methods for
development. The greenhouse idea is founded on the
research activities the museum has been conducting
in the last decade on the Eastern Arc mountains in
Tanzania, aimed at the conservation of the natural
environment with the active participation of local
communities.
29.
The Science Museum conducts basic and applied multi-
disciplinary research in the field of natural sciences with
the aim to investigate, interpret, educate, discuss and
inspire on themes concerning nature, science, innovation
and a sustainable future.
Due to its proven capacity to produce and disseminate
high quality scientific content, MUSE is the only museum
to have been recognized by the Autonomous Province of
Trento as a “research entity”, on a par with the University
of Trento and with the two major Trentino-based
foundations, Mach and Kessler, and to have become
a member of the Trentino System for Research and
Superior Education (“Sistema Trentino della Ricerca e
dell’Alta Formazione”).
At MUSE, research is conducted by over 40 researchers
working in seven units (scientific departments): Botany,
Limnology and Algology, Invertebrate Zoology and
Hydrobiology, Vertebrate Zoology, Tropical Biodiversity,
Geology, Pre-history. Their activity is carried out in two
thematic macro-areas: i) Biodiversity and Ecology, and
ii) Study of the environment, palaeo-environment and
anthropic landscape. These have been recently joined
by the Science and Society section that studies the
relations between nature, science and human society.
The researchers are assisted by a team of cultural
mediators; they are committed to the divulgation of the
researches conducted inside the museum and to the
design of activities regarding superior education and
cultural mediation.
To this end, the complex network of institutions within
the Autonomous Province of Trento finds in MUSE
qualified professionals capable not only of producing
scientific content but also of transferring it together with
that produced by other entities, from the researcher to
the citizens, in the leading and most interesting research
sectors in the province.
MUSE is confirmed as being a centre of excellence as
regards the following:
- studies on the documentation and conservation of
Alpine water and land fauna and flora. The aim of these
studies is to document and monitor biodiversity in
Trentino, to create databases (mainly for insects and
vertebrates), checklists and red lists, and to produce
predictive models of the distribution of biodiversity in
protected and urbanized areas. These studies produce
important application outcomes by supplying cognitive
tools used in the drafting of land management plans;
- studies, on the effects of climate and environment
changes on natural Alpine ecosystems and on Alpine
biodiversity. These include basic and even experimental
studies, the aim of which is to assess the effect of
various kinds of impact on Alpine biodiversity, to create
forecasting models for biodiversity trends in response to
such impacts, to define new naturalness bio-indicators,
to assess the risk of extinction of Alpine species.
Of special importance at national and international
levels are the current studies on water springs, glacial
streams, pro-glacial outwash plains and rock glaciers
as regards the shrinking of glaciers and global warming.
In particular, these studies are connected to the
implementation of the MUSE’s algal and entomologic
collections; - studies on the ex situ conservation,
propagation, cultivation and re-introduction of Alpine
plant species (seed bank). The aim of these studies is to
An internationalresearch centre
30.
set up in Trentino a centre for the long-term conservation
of the germplasm of native Alpine plants at risk of
extinction, of the wild ancestors of cultivated plants and
of the ancient and under-used varieties of cultigens. In
addition to the local plant species, tropical species are
being collected, thus elevating the MUSE seed bank to
international levels;
- studies regarding the biodiversity and conservation
of tropical and sub-tropical regions. These studies
range from the inventorying of biological diversities in
relatively unknown and sometimes unexplored areas,
with subsequent analyses of the bio-geographical
patterns and of speciation dynamics, to the study of
the population and the ecological modelling of key
species of forest ecosystems. Most of the activities
are focused on the Tanzanian rainforest areas (Eastern
Arc Mountains), one of the world’s most important
biodiversity hotspots, where MUSE has a local outpost;
- paleontological and ichnological research. The
purpose of these studies is to quantify the presence of
fossil dinosaurs and of other land reptiles in Trentino,
and therefore to find paleontological excavation sites
and to study their distribution in space and in time,
as well as their conservation and enhancement for
public use. In this capacity, MUSE is often summoned
by important foreign science institutions to intervene
in extra-territorial contexts; - geological research.
These studies include the documentation of the local
area’s geodiversity, aimed at better comprehending
the relations between the natural environment and the
historical dynamics of anthropogenic change. This
research is also highly important at local level, as it is
associated with the drafting of geological maps and of
documents for the prevention of geological hazards;
- studies on speleothems and meteoric cave water.
The aim of these studies is to reconstruct past
climate changes in Trentino by sampling and studying
underground calcite and water and by monitoring
underground soil in Trentino caves;
- studies on pre-history. These studies mainly refer to
research on the first human settlements in the Alps
(in the Last Glacial and Early Holocene periods) that
highlight the close links between the land exploitation
and social organization models of human groups and
the reconstruction of ancient landscapes. Of special
significance are the numerous prehistoric mobiliary art
findings uncovered in the prehistoric excavation sites in
Trentino.
- studies on the relations between nature, science and
society. These studies concern the interconnections
between scientific and technological innovation and
social implications, with special emphasis on the
sustainability aspects of biological and environmental
science and its applications. These studies, conducted
together with other international institutions,
interconnect those who produce, use and manage
innovation in order to support MUSE in its capacity as
main point of reference for a world of knowledge in
which anyone can have access to new information.
The research conducted by MUSE has a strong impact
on the territory at local level since it can provide useful
indications for environmental management, even in
terms of tourist use. For a number of years MUSE
researchers have been working to define wildlife
protection plans at various scale levels and design action
plans concerning species, habitats and environments.
More specifically, and assisted by professionals working
with the Autonomous Province of Trento, they help
develop incidence evaluations when they view local
patterns or areas within their specific competence.
At the same time, MUSE research activities are of
national and international relevance, as demonstrated
by the museum’s participation in congresses and
conferences, publication of scientific and divulgation
articles (about 60 per year) and membership in European
projects and networks.
Finally, as traditionally expected of a museum, MUSE
research results are also connected to the increase in
the collections, which remain the best proof of natural
and human diversity in time and space and are important
research tools placed at the scientific community’s
disposal (to date, MUSE preserves about 300 collections
and over 4.5 million objects and specimens covering a
time span of over two centuries).
31.
The Science Museum of Trento (MUSE) is an
instrumental body of the Autonomous Province of Trento,
the purpose of which is to interpret nature starting from
the mountain landscape by using the tools and queries
of scientific research, by picking up the challenges of
contemporary life, by inviting visitors to unleash their
scientific curiosity and to appreciate the pleasures of
knowledge, so as to promote science, innovation and
sustainability.
It expresses a process that has always been a key
feature of this land in terms of both ecological and
educational challenges. Trento, in fact, boasts a network
of museums that makes this region an icon of research
and science dissemination since ever. Moreover,
together with MART in Rovereto and with Castello del
Buonconsiglio, it acts as yet another promoter of the
Adige Valley as a place with high cultural intensity levels,
worth visiting the whole year round.
Udzungwa EcologicalMonitoring Centre, Tanzania
The Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre (UEMC)
was established in the Udzungwa Mountains National
Park, Tanzania, in 2006, and is part of a nature
conservation program that the Science Museum has
A network of different kinds of knowledgeTanzania, London, Mart, dialogue,
culture, Caproni, environmental
education, Ecsite, lake dwellings,
Terrace of the Stars
been conducting in Tanzania for 10 years now. The
area’s international stature and the need to monitor its
biodiversity have led the Science Museum to found the
Ecological Monitoring Centre as a structure supporting
the National Park in the development of biodiversity
monitoring and environmental education programs
for primary schools. Since 2009, the Centre has been
running the first African site of a pan-tropical network
of research stations for the standardized monitoring
of biodiversity (Tropical Ecology, Assessment and
Monitoring). The Centre’s staff, consisting of about 20
Tanzanians, closely collaborates with the National Park’s
staff in taking censuses of the most important species
and in collecting data regarding the conditions of the
forests. In addition to this, an environmental education
program for nearby schools was launched in 2008.
The Centre contains living quarters for researchers, an
office and resources for assisting research activities,
a large hall for seminars and a hostel opened in 2010
for conducting superior education courses on tropical
biodiversity, intended for local as well as international
students.
Gianni Caproni Air Museum
Founded in 1927 by engineer Gianni Caproni (1886 –
1957) and his wife Timina Guasti, the Gianni Caproni Air
Museum is Italy’s first “company museum” as well as
the oldest air museum in the world. Today’s structure,
standing in Mattarello (Trento), was opened in 1992
to collect and exhibit the world-famous collection
of airplanes and historical mementoes collected by
the Caproni family. Of the many notable pieces of
the collection, nine are unique examples of historical
airplanes.
32.
Lake-Dwellings Museumof Lake Ledro
The eastern coast of Lake Ledro in Trentino is the
location of very important archeological findings. Since
the 1930’s, various excavation campaigns have revealed
the remains of a lake-dwelling village dating back to the
early-middle Bronze Age (2200 to 1350 B.C.). The area
was proclaimed a UNESCO world heritage site in 2011.
Alpine Botanical GardenViote di Monte Bondone
Established in the 1930’s to promote the knowledge and
safeguarding of Alpine flora, the Alpine Botanical Garden
located in the Viote hollow on Monte Bondone is one
of the oldest and largest of its kind in the Alps. Today
it nurtures more than 1,000 species of Alpine plants,
especially medicinal plants and species under threat
of extinction. The seeds of the latter are collected and
placed in a seed bank accessible to the international
network of botanical gardens.
Terrace of the StarsViote del Monte Bondone
The “Terrace of the Stars” observatory, located in the
Viote hollow on Monte Bondone, is the ideal venue for
observing stars in the night sky. Just a few kilometres
from the city of Trento, the observatory has powerful
telescopes that, with the help of expert operators,
become privileged instruments for admiring the heavens.
Limnological Stationof Lake Tovel – Tuenno
The Limnological Station of Lake Tovel, opened in 2003
as part of the Life-Tovel project, has been used since
2006 for research and for summer school camps for
university students, educational activities for schools
and as a tool of scientific interpretation and mediation
for the general public. All of the activities are carried out
in cooperation with the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park
and the Municipality of Tuenno.
Geological Museumof the Dolomites – Predazzo
In close collaboration with the Municipality of Predazzo,
this museum specialises in geology of the Dolomites
(included in the prestigious UNESCO world heritage
site list on 26 June 2009) and especially in that of the
Fiemme and Fassa valleys. First established in 1899 as a
“Social Museum” by the association “Società Magistrale
di Fiemme e Fassa”, today it is celebrating over 100
years of history. Its collections include a comprehensive
selection of local paleontological samples and many
mineral ore pieces that constitute a veritable geological
treasure. The museum works together with Italian
universities in the field of the stratigraphy of the Mid-
Triassic period.
International scope
The Science Museum is proud of its participation in
many cooperation and partnership projects worldwide.
Among many prestigious partnerships, the most
significant is that with the Natural History Museum of
London that has contributed in setting up the content
material for MUSE, as well as that with the international
network ECSITE - European Network of Science Centres
and Museums, with headquarters in Brussels.
33.
In 1992, the exhibition “Dinosaurs - The world of
dinosaurs” attracted a large audience of over 50,000
visitors in a period of just two months. This highlighted
the assumption that the museum could widen its
audience and enhance its science divulgation mission
by attracting visitors from outside the province too. The
90’s confirmed the museum’s commitment to produce
and host interactive exhibitions, in the wake of modern
science centres throughout the world.
These are places where dynamic action and informal
learning supercede the “old school” way of addressing
museum displays. It’s a novelty in Italy, shared with “La
Città della Scienza di Napoli” the science city in Naples.
“I giocattoli e la scienza” (Toys and Science) in 1995
was the first interactive exhibition. It set the pace for
the museum’s subsequent activities, such as “Il Diluvio
universale” (The Deluge), “Energia 2001” (Energy 2001),
“Destinazione stelle” (Destination: the Stars), “Tutti a
nanna” (Everyone to bed), “Pianeta Rosso” (The Red
Planet), “I giochi di Einstein” (Einstein’s Games), “Pole
Position”, “La scimmia nuda” (The Naked Monkey),
“Spaziale” (Spatial) and “Homo Sapiens”. Since then,
traditional methods and innovation seem to coexist in
symbiosis. The path is clear.
The “new course” was met with favour and, at the
same time, a new generation of researchers started
to reap the benefits of European Community funding
for environmental research. Botanists, zoologists
and geologists carried out research on behalf of
the Autonomous Province of Trento departments in
charge of environmental management. Universities
assigned research projects and requested student
apprenticeships for Master’s and PhD theses.
The new role played by the museum in the research
field was presented in 1997 with the temporary
exhibition “The Museum studies the Alps”, expressing
the new need to communicate with the audience in
innovative ways and with eyes always focused on
contemporaneity.
Thus the museum was no longer a display of objects
and specimens but rather a live, open and dialoguing
entity, useful to society in building an idea and a plan
of the future. The good work done also brought in
excellent profits, along with a capacity for self-funding
in research that in some years exceeded 40% of the
costs of this sector. Space, however, remained cramped
also because the Museum’s gradually opened up to
international artists and scholars.
In 2000, the exhibition “The Deluge” revealed an in-
depth change in the ‘museum’ concept.
No more dusty showcases and taxidermied animals,
replaced by a 24-hour-a-day museum space capable
of attracting, at different hours of the day, school
groups, families and researchers. This model, based on
From the Tridentine Museumof Natural Science to MUSE
34.
From the Tridentine Museumof Natural Science to MUSE
interaction and experimentation, was a perfect match
with schools.
The museum became a large teaching laboratory
attended by the schools of Trentino and of adjoining
regions thanks to a sound educational programme.
The museum then proceeded to lengthen its reach
by encompassing other regional sections, namely
sites linked to the Trento headquarters but located
elsewhere within Trentino, at locations of very high
natural and touristic interest. Such additional sites
included the historical Alpine Botanical Garden of
Viote, the neighbouring Terrace of the Stars, the Lake-
Dwelling Museum of Lake Ledro, The Gianni Caproni Air
Museum, the Geological Museum of the Dolomites in
Predazzo and the Limnological Station of Lake Tovel.
The growing activity in separate areas that made it
difficult for the research team to work together, along
with an increasingly minor role played by permanent
exhibitions in favour of original temporary ones
conceived and set up by the museum staff, resulted
in the inevitable crowding of installations, displays
and audience, especially in the event of contemporary
temporary exhibitions.
In the early 21st century it became evident that the
space was insufficient. Without the possibility of
expanding any further, it was time for decisions to be
taken - the right time to roll-out the MUSE Science
Museum project. The project began with a “Feasibility
study for a new science museum in Trentino”, carried
out by the museum in the period from 2002 to 2003 at
the request of the Cultural Activities department of the
Autonomous Province of Trento; this was followed in
2005 by the Cultural Plan.
These documents were drafted by more than 50
national and international qualified experts and by many
citizens, who all actively contributed to the definition
of the museum’s contents by expressing their wishes
and expectations in various focus groups and debates
regarding the project.
The cultural plan, approved by the Province in 2006,
was transformed into an architectural plan created by
the famous architect Renzo Piano, who designed the
building and was appointed as the art director for the
museum’s interiors. The coherence of the architectural
design with the museological contents, and of the
building layout with the arrangement of the internal
areas, is the result of the skilful direction by the team of
designers of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, who
has worked closely with the museum staff in a growing
creative dialogue towards the creation of this new
cultural hub in Trentino.
35.
A new brandfor a new museum
The need to design a brand for the new museum derives
from the awareness of the historical importance of the
change under way, which that could be summarised in
the question posed by the entire staff a couple of years
ago, as the new building construction works started
coming to an end: what kind of museum was being
created? Was it to be a museum totally different from
what it had been up until then, a museum that continued
the past tradition or the transformation of a pre-existing
museum into a new one?
Anyhow, the museum’s new visual identity had to express
in an unequivocal manner the answer to this question,
condensing the process of change into the metaphor of
rebirth, i.e. a new phase of life, yet solidly rooted in its
long history.
Philosophy
Created by the international design firm Pentagram -
who asked to learn all about the museum’s content and
spaces before creating a suitable logo that would be
original, clear and lively - the logo consists of the name
of the museum, MUSE. The close tie between shape
and content that inspired the museum’s architectural
structure has also been expressed in the visual identity
of the new logo.
In order to conceive and design the logo, Pentagram
made reference to the three concepts on which the
museum’s philosophy is based: universal, global, local.
In the logo, all of the graphic elements combine to create
a visual narrative that states the museum’s uniqueness in
terms of design, content, appearance and philosophy.
This new identity intends to celebrate the museum
as a whole: as a research centre operating in many
naturalistic sectors and at the same time as a
centre for the dissemination of scientific culture. In
metaphorical terms, the logo simultaneously represents
the museum’s roots in the local community (the
word rests on a horizontal plane, evidently recalling
its location in Trento’s valley bottom, from which it
emerges with an outline as jagged as the outline of the
mountains surrounding Trento) and its connections with
international research and science centres (the jutting
upwards of the letters indicates the importance of the
museum within the cultural context).
36.
A new brandfor a new museum
37.
Concept
The logotype was conceived to represent the landscape
of the Adige valley and of the mountains surrounding
it. The letters, that is the essence of the logo, portray
a distinctive identity, a unique visual image that states
the museum’s name in a memorable and captivating
way. Indeed, the text almost seems to create an
exhibition space capable of containing and displaying
images of objects of great symbolical value or highly
communicative textual elements. The logo also mimics
the architectural principle at the heart of the installations,
the “zero gravity” idea, where the two planes – the
horizontal and the vertical - intersect to form a shelf
ready to hold an object, a word, an illustration, without
prevailing over it as it stays slightly suspended in the air.
The visual inspiration for the logo derives from imagining
a descent from outer space to planet Earth, closing in on
Italy and, finally, the city of Trento.
Here, the building designed by the Renzo Piano Building
Workshop emerges as the centre that attracts attention
due to its shape and content: MUSE, characterised by its
signature profile featuring a diagonally jagged outline, is
emblematically evoked in the inclination followed by the
logo’s fold.
11
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Notes
National Press Office Omnia RelationsT. +39 051 6939166 - 051 6939129
Communication office MUSET. +39 0461 270337
www.muse.it
Antonia Caola _ [email protected] Veronesi _ [email protected] Tessaro _ [email protected]
Chiara Caliceti _ [email protected] Iozzia _ [email protected] Mazzocco _ [email protected]
Photo: Alessandro Gadotti, Archivio TrentoFutura;Massimo Zarucco, Archivio ufficio stampa PAT;Fabio Pupin, Archivio Museo delle Scienze;Aalto FabLab; Archivio Noaa Rendering: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
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