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"Nuts and bolts":
interactive exibits
Exhibit
development & fabrication
Designs
& performance specifications
Discovery
Disks: mobile mini-interactives
'Beam Cam' projecting video microscope
Underwater
Street Discovery Centre
Moscow
Planetarium
Sellafield
Visitor Centre
'Alternative
energy'
Earth
Science
Fixed
Discovery Disks, Glasgow
Air-table,
telescope, moon-phases
Astronomy
exhibits for Valencia
Biometrics
Magnetic
field exhibit for CERN, Geneva
Tabletop
Discovery Disks: magnetism
Tabletop
Discovery Disks: Light
More
Light interactives
"Academic"
interactives: The Energy Enzyme
"Academic
interactives": Electron beams
"Academic
interactives": Mantle geology
Working
canal-lock model
Virtual
exhibit: Ich bin einmalig
Chemistry
interactives: Chirality
Video
microscopes: Melting crystal
Push-button
quiz: Breath of life
Environmental
& biological
Cookbook
outlines of my 1992 "classical" Great Explorations interactives
Talk to me!
UK phone/fax
+44 (0) 1663 743794
Email ian@interactives.co.uk
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Great
Explorations
GREAT
EXPLORATIONS - Moving air | Forming
images | Reflecting light | Electricity
and magnetism | Spinning things | Making
sense | Changing colours | Making
sounds and waves | Moving to and fro
| Thinking about shapes
This is an old set of proven ideas, for reference. My latest designs are
far better!
Open in 1992, with 1200 square metres including exhibition space,
office, workshop, toilets, snack area and two classrooms, this was one
one of the first three full-scale hands-on science centres in Britain.
The interactive exhibits were designed and produced by Ian Russell.
Each design went through a ruthless selection process, successfully ensuring
that this science centre could operate with lower running costs than any
other of the same size. The interactives were also selected for their
popular appeal and educational value.
This was a carefully coordinated learning environment, not a random collection
of interactives. Everything is carefully arranged in subject-themed groups
or 'clusters' for maximum educational effectiveness. The tubular steel
structures are colour coded in red, green, blue or yellow to emphasise
the grouping of each 'cluster'.
Each unit was accompanied by a free-standing, lectern-type, interpretive
graphic stand, designed so the existing graphics are readily interchangeable,
using A4-size paper artwork. Strong construction materials and durable
finishes were used. The welded, tubular steel frames had a heat-cured,
electrostatic epoxy powder coating, giving a colourful, very hard, high-gloss
surface. All medium-density-fibreboard (MDF) panels had pale grey or black
laminates bonded to each side and corners were rounded. Heavy-gauge steel
base plates were used at floor level, attractively covered with pale blue,
studded rubber. All removable screws were standardised to fit a 3mm hexagon
key, for easy maintenance and to minimise tampering by the public. Those
exhibits requiring mains electricity were connected to an overhead supply
via black 'curly cables' from a connection box on top of a 2-metres high
pole. Each connection box had a 'power-on' neon indicator lamp and an
isolating toggle switch out of sight, but within easy reach, on top of
the box.
History
In 1991 I was directly approached by the chairman of a commercial
leisure company needing advice on developing a hands-on science centre
to be part of a large project they had undertaken in Liverpool. His intention
was to develop the extensive site of the 1984 International Garden Festival
as a major new leisure complex.
Its unfortunate closure a year or two later was a result of the financial
problems affecting the site as a whole. This was certainly no reflection
at all on Great Explorations as a science centre. In fact, it was
hugely popular with local schools and families.
Some years later, many of the orignal interactives were relocated as
part of the SCOPE science centre in Sheffield. Since then I understand
they were again moved to the Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield, where
they are still going strong!
GREAT
EXPLORATIONS - Moving air | Forming
images | Reflecting light | Electricity
and magnetism | Spinning things | Making
sense | Changing colours | Making
sounds and waves | Moving to and fro
| Thinking about shapes
This is an old set of proven ideas, for reference. My latest designs are
far better!
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