June 21, 2021 — Today, CERN held a first stone ceremony for Science Gateway, the Laboratory’s new flagship project for science education and outreach. Fabiola Gianotti, CERN’s Director-General, John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis and the FCA Foundation, the main donor, Renzo Piano, architect and founder of Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Antonio Hodgers, representing the Geneva Canton, were present to mark the successful start of its construction. Ursula Bassler, President of the CERN Council, contributed to the ceremony remotely. Representatives from CERN Member and Associate Member States, Host States and many other partners were also in attendance at the ceremony.
When the Laboratory opened in 1954, its Convention already promoted openness and commitment to education and outreach. Almost seventy years and over two million visitors later, CERN is increasing its capacity to welcome visitors of all ages, from near and far and extending its educational portfolio with a view to increasingly inspiring future generations towards science and research. Hundreds of thousands of visitors per year will have the opportunity to go on a captivating journey through the science, the discoveries and the technology at CERN, guided by the people who make it all possible.
Scheduled to open in 2023, the CERN Science Gateway has environmental sustainability at its core. It will be an iconic, carbon-neutral building and a local landmark, surrounded by a 400-tree freshly-planted forest. Closely connected to the CERN campus, the Science Gateway will also feature a modular 900-seat auditorium, immersive spaces, laboratories for hands-on activities for visitors from age 5 up, and many other interactive learning opportunities.
An exhibition on the Esplanade des Particules details the project and its connection to CERN.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many partners in our Member and Associate Member States and beyond who are making the CERN Science Gateway possible, in particular to our generous donors. The challenging times we’ve been through over the past 18 months have demonstrated the enduring value and the necessity of science and the need for cooperation across borders. Science brings people together and shows what humanity can achieve when we put our differences aside and focus on the common good. Science gives hope and trust in a better future. We want the CERN Science Gateway to inspire all those who come to visit with the beauty and the values of science,” said CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti during her opening speech.
About CERN
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world’s leading laboratories for particle physics. The Organization is located on the French-Swiss border, with its headquarters in Geneva. Its Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Cyprus, Estonia and Slovenia are Associate Member States in the pre-stage to Membership. Croatia, India, Lithuania, Pakistan, Turkey and Ukraine are Associate Member States. The European Union, Japan, JINR, the Russian Federation, UNESCO and the United States of America currently have Observer status. www.home.cern
Click here to learn more.
Source: CERN