Science Experience Centre and Planetarium in Bratislava One Step Closer to Reality

Bratislava city councillors today ratified the lease of land in the Bratislava Zoo, where a new modern science experience centre and planetarium of national importance is to be built. We thus continue to fulfil the memorandum in which the individual partners made the commitment to take all the steps needed to create such a centre and planetarium in the capital.

The capital city has repeatedly declared its interest in supporting science and research. In this context, the city’s management signed a memorandum of cooperation with Slovak Planetariums and the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities in an effort to build a planetarium in the capital. There was also an agreement to place such an institution in an appropriate location and in suitable premises that have the potential to expand into new functions in the field of science and education, so that its goal and mission are truly fulfilled.

This commitment was subsequently reflected in a memorandum, which, in addition to the capital and Slovak Planetariums and Slovak Organisation for Space Activities, was also signed by the Bratislava Self-Governing Region (BSK), the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), the Centre of Scientific and Technical Information of the Slovak Republic (CVTI SR) and the Bratislava Zoo (ZOO). The subject of the memorandum is a combined effort to build a new modern science experience centre and planetarium in the capital city.

The new science experience centre and planetarium are to be built on the grounds of the Bratislava ZOO. This connection of the science experience centre, planetarium and the ZOO grounds will enable the creation of a high-quality, comprehensive programme for children, schools and families throughout the year. The planetarium will not only serve to promote scientific knowledge in the field of space and other sciences, but also as a multifunctional presentation space. In view of the planned location and the institutions that are located there (whether faculties of Comenius University, the STU or the SAS), the centre and planetarium also have great potential to be integrated into a larger complex of scientific research, educational or other popularisation institutions.

For the purpose of building and operating the new science experience centre and planetarium, the city council members today approved the lease of land in the Bratislava Zoo, on which the centre and planetarium are to grow.

The experience centre and planetarium should be built on the site of the current giraffe, zebra, and ostrich breeding facility. This area meets all the requirements and is ideal for the location of the experience centre and planetarium. It has an easy connection to the highway network, public transport and a cycle path, and is also within walking distance from Patrónka. Nearby is also a free area owned by the capital, where a parking lot will be built.

The construction of the science experience centre will also improve conditions for the animals in the zoo. The current housing and enclosure for giraffes, zebras and ostriches is located in the immediate vicinity of the highway. The animals will eventually be moved to open meadows on a hill below the rhinoceros enclosure, which will also fit conceptually into the zoo management’s intention to create a so-called “African Hill”. But more importantly, the giraffes, zebras and ostriches will gain approximately 10-times the area of the outdoor enclosure, where they will be able to run and gnaw at the lower parts of the trees that line the meadow. Visitors will thereby be able to observe them in a more spacious and natural environment.

The investment connected to the design work and the construction of the new enclosure for giraffes, zebras and ostriches itself will be provided by the CVTI. The task of the CVTI SR was to elaborate a verification study with a proposal for an economically sustainable operating model and to actively cooperate in securing financing for the construction of the centre and planetarium. Assuming that financing is obtained, the CVTI SR, in cooperation with the ZOO, will also develop an operational concept for the area, with an emphasis on economic sustainability, to ensure the carrying out of the construction and the commissioning of the area of the science experience centre and planetarium.

The Bratislava ZOO will be represented in the competition committee, which will be appointed by the CVTI to select the supplier of the design documentation for the science experience centre and planetarium.

The next steps on the path to building a new science experience centre and planetarium are the announcement of the necessary architectural competition, the elaboration of studies and documentation, and the provision of the necessary permits so that the construction itself can begin in 2028.

The effort to build a new science and technology experience centre is a result of the current Aurelium Science Centre on Bojnická ulica being past its useful life. It is located in the premises of a former industrial hall in a manufacturing and warehouse zone, with no possibility of expanding it to include a relaxing outdoor area for visitors, as well as the absence of supporting infrastructure for visitors, such as cafes, restaurants or shops, which is an absolute standard abroad. The new centre should bring more domestic and foreign tourists to the capital while also creating a quality programme for city residents. The science experience centre and planetarium should further fulfil the decades-long effort of activists and the general public to build a modern planetarium worthy of the capital of the Slovak Republic.