La Cite de la Sciences et l’Industrie in Paris, France

La Cite is a very large science center, which opened in 1986 on the site of a former slaughterhouse in northeastern Paris.











The project was part of a redevelopment effort to revitalize this part of the city and has by all indications been successful, as the overall venue welcomes 3 million visitors each year, including 1.5 million to the science center. Shown here is the large IMAX dome theater.

The scale of La Cite is grand. It mounts some 10-12 temporary exhibitions each year. 1,000 staff work with an annual budget of about $140 million. 25% of the building is still unused and available for other uses or expansion. Some ¾ of the budget is provided by the French government each year, and the rest is earned through admissions, food, gift shop, and IMAX income.










The majority of the exhibits are relatively non-interactive and target adults with a broad variety of topics such as energy, cars, astronautics, etc. There are relatively few pure science exhibits.















A current science area, which is managed by a staff of 20, changes to a new theme each quarter. The current topic is Africa, and a wide range of information panels, interactive computer stations, artwork, and other objects invites visitors to learn more about development in this region of the world. At one end of the area is a large round black granite table with computer stations where visitors can dig into several areas of current science and vote their opinions.









A major area for children is currently being renovated. Once completed, it will be 5,000 m2 (50,000 sq ft) and will include two areas; one for 2-5 year olds and one for 5-11 year olds (La Cite finds that after age 11, relatively few children come to the science center or use hands-on exhibits). The exhibits in both areas have been created with developmental psychology in mind and are interesting from a pedagogical viewpoint.
In the younger area, the exhibits are very colorful, simple, and attractive for young children, with a hollowed out tree, a kangaroo with a pouch that small children can crawl into, and some excellent water play.

My favorite part of this area, however, was a construction zone in which children can build structures with weighted foam blocks, using a large crane, trains, and various building elements. Optional hardhats and construction jackets are provided, and most children enjoy dressing the part. A wonderful side benefit of this construction area is that children who have never met each other must learn to work as a team in order to accomplish anything.

In the area designed for older children, exhibits run a broad gamut of topics from a mini-butterfly house to biochemistry and robotics. Exhibits are designed as props for adults to facilitate learning of the children with them. Signage is not encyclopedic, but rather supportive of adults. It works well, and it is easy to see why La Cite is a favorite destination for children and families.

A number of the exhibits in this area were based on the theme of communication. A small, immersive area included messages and examples of food from other cultures. There were opportunities to try writing messages in other languages.

In a fun variation on the pneumatic message-tube exhibit, the air pressure needed to send the message to the other end station is generated by visitors sitting on the round red seat near the exhibit.

La Cite has made a major commitment, as an institution, to sustainability and helping the public understand issues related to climate change. A major exhibition about 4 years ago called “Climax” provided an immersive experience intended to jolt visitors into thinking about the potential impacts of global warming. The exhibition opened one month after the heat wave that killed 35,000 Europeans and had Parisian morgues overflowing.

Members of the museum staff indicate that public understanding of global warming in France has reached the point where this earlier exhibition would no longer be considered current science; i.e., people in France have moved beyond needing to be convinced of global warming and its human causes and now are more interested in what to do about it.

A more recent exhibition, which just closed last month, was called “A New Era” and treated a number of issues related to future climate change scenarios, as well as what we can do to leave a smaller carbon footprint while maintaining a quality of life similar to that which we now enjoy.

As an institution, La Cite has committed itself to engaging the public in conversations about sustainability and climate change. The center realizes that it can’t do this without “walking the talk” itself, and it is now looking at many aspects of its operations, from lighting, insulation, and building energy usage, to the messages it shares with the public through its exhibitions and programs. It now has a fulltime sustainability coordinator, whose goal is to work with all departments to align their operations with sustainable practices such as recycling, energy conservation, etc. La Cite also plans to include sustainability as a constant element in all of its future exhibitions, much as it now includes universal design.