Science World - Vancouver, BC

Science World in Vancouver is a science museum that I frequented growing up. In general, the design of the building itself is gorgeous. The unique spherical shape gives it interesting dimension. It’s location being on the water in downtown Vancouver also adds to its beauty.

In terms of the exhibitions itself, something I love is how versatile the spaces are. I have visited the museum on many occasions in many different years and continue to find new exhibits in the same spaces.

The image below is an example of an interactive exhibit, where visitors try to pull a rope to lift up the weight of a hippo on the other side. If I remember correctly (it has been quite a few years), the goal of the exhibit is to demonstrate how lifting at different points along the beam provides varying levels of leverage. The farther away a person pulls from the hippo, it becomes easier to lift the weight.

The museum does a great job at including fun interactive exhibits in an aesthetic way to make learning fun for children and adults. I remember other exhibits like a skiing simulator and so many more!

It also features interesting presentation spaces perfect for instruction for classes or groups. The unique layout with the balcony above and the colorful stage makes the building unique and inviting. The layout is also very functional and allows ample space for listeners.

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Exhibitions

The temporary exhibitions that Vancouver put up for the 2010 Olympics provide great examples of unique exhibitions. My family actually took the photos below from the games.

This was an exhibit created to highlight different Olympic events like skiing through a skiing aerial exhibit in the middle of the heart of the city. Using outdoor street space as an exhibit is really effective as it draws a lot of attention from people passing by. Outdoor space in an exhibition space can also be used for events and activities like this.

During the Olympic Games ice rinks and other public spaces were also used as exhibits for the games. The image below is of an ice rink downtown showing the mascots of the Olympics doing a show.

Other public amenities were added in open spaces, like the bobsled that my brother and I are sitting in the image below. Fun projects like this around the city’s downtown increased excitement for the Olympics and often had interactive elements. Features like this could definitely be added to an exhibition.

In general, the way that the city used public space as Olympics exhibits with little alteration was impressive. The use of light, minimal furniture and presentation made these exhibits effective. The outdoor space especially was utilized excellently, and is exemplary for other exhibitions.