Science and technology museum unlocks the doors after nearly three years of renovations to make the venue smarter, greener and more immersive, He Qi reports.
Closed for nearly three years for renovations, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which has undergone an 820 million yuan ($118.2 million) upgrade, will start trial operations during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday in February.
The venue, which holds cherished moments for many people, has been injected with new vitality while retaining its classical elements, allowing visitors to relive their childhood memories and experience new scientific and technological surprises.
Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, states that the renovation covers 100,600 square meters of building space and 21,000 sq m of exhibition space. "It is one of the largest single renovations of a science and technology museum globally and one of the largest for any existing public cultural venue in Shanghai." The renovations were done to make the museum "more cutting-edge, smarter, more integrated, and greener".
The renovation includes 10 permanent exhibition areas with 926 exhibits, 80 percent of which are interactive and 87 percent are original creations.
"We have preserved classical exhibits that have accompanied two generations while introducing over 230 valuable collections in fields such as information, energy and aviation for the first time. These include core components of nuclear fusion devices and early civil aviation engines, offering visitors a tangible connection to the development of science and technology," Ni emphasizes.
He adds that the renovation completes an upgrade to the electromechanical systems, with nearly 340 tasks completed across 11 professional fields, ultimately enhancing the building's overall energy efficiency by more than 15 percent.
In addition to classical exhibits, modern technological elements and immersive experiences have captured visitors' attention.
"I have been coming to the science and technology museum with my family since kindergarten," Chen Tianyi, 20, said happily as she looked at the familiar exhibits during the stress test on Jan 27. "There used to be mostly small exhibits, but now there are screens and simulations of skydiving and aircraft."
In the aviation adventures area, a 1:1 replica of a 1930s Ford Tri-motor plane, the main aircraft of Shanghai's first civil aviation route, allows visitors to sit in the retro cabin and "travel back" 100 years to experience the air journey from Shanghai to Hankou (in Wuhan of Hubei province) by wearing a VR headset.
Qi Haochen, a student from Pudong Lingang Junior High School Affiliated to East China Normal University, has visited the museum three times. "The experience is much more engaging now, and I understand more as I get older," he says. His favorite display is the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) exhibition: "A well-assembled UAV used to cost 30,000 to 40,000 yuan ($4,325-5,767), but now it's just over 3,000. Technology is becoming more accessible."
He also recommends the power-generating bicycle and material experience exhibits, noting, "They allow you to see power generation and feel technological progress. Many large-scale pieces of equipment aren't accessible elsewhere. And it's free, which is great."
Anna Barnes, a teacher at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai and one of the first visitors for the museum stress test, praises the venue's interactive design and new environment: "It's perfect for kids to get hands-on experience with things they've only read about or seen in videos."
She adds: "The space and facilities are impressive — spacious, shiny, and brand new. We love it."
To enhance science education, the venue has established a 1,300-sq-m science and innovation experimental space in the basement, featuring engaging spaces and 10 educational brand projects. It plans to offer scientific thinking courses for teenagers and science and technology night classes for white-collar workers, integrating science into daily life.
During Spring Festival, the museum will host exciting activities, including a special Year of the Horse exhibition cohosted with the Palace Museum. This exhibition, featuring over 20 horse-themed cultural relics and 13 rare horse specimens, will use 3D and 4K projections to re-create the natural habitats of horses. Additionally, the world's first CLED giant screen theater for science education will debut, showcasing the documentary Horse Power on a 23.68-meter-wide, 18-meter-high screen, supporting 4K, 3D, and high frame rate playback.
The venue's basement also features a 24-hour urban science and cultural space, allowing visitors to enjoy dome movies and the special Year of the Horse exhibition when the main venue is closed, including on Mondays, when most museums are closed. Future plans include hosting events like World Cup live broadcasts, positioning popular science as a new nightlife option.
"We hope to hear three kinds of voices — the 'wow' from children when they see the exhibits, the 'oh' when they understand the principles, and the 'huh' when they solve problems," says Ni, who adds, "This is the original intention of the science and technology museum's renovation: to let old memories collide with new technologies, and put the joy of science within reach."
Contact the writer at heqi@chinadaily.com.cn
