Jodrell Bank centre opening next week
A new science discovery centre at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is opening to the public on Monday 11 April.
The £3m project includes a new entrance building, the Planet Pavilion, and a new Space Pavilion for exhibitions and events.
The 10,000 sq ft centre also includes a glass-walled café with views of the 76-metre Lovell telescope, an education space and landscaping of the gardens.
The Jodrell Bank Observatory is part of The University of Manchester, which said the main aim of the discovery centre is to inspire young scientists and connect them to "cutting-edge research" as it happens.
The project has been made possible by an investment of £1.9m by the North West Development Agency and £1m by the European Regional Development Fund. An additional £600,000 of funding will come from the university.
Teresa Anderson, the centre's director, said: "We're delighted that our new centre is opening bang on schedule and that it will be such a great experience for visitors. We're really looking forward to welcoming lots of new people to Jodrell Bank in the next few months and years.
Capita Symonds project managed the scheme, while Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios were the architects.
The Jodrell Bank Observatory was recently named as one of the 11 sites on a UK short-list as a potential UNESCO World Heritage site.
Meanwhile, the Jodrell Bank Observatory was also selected to house a £1.3bn project office for the Square Kilometre Array to build the largest radio telescope in the world.
The University of Manchester has launched a new website for the new discovery centre
Don’t forget the University Teams too- who helped make this possible!
By The one and only dominator