Science by design

Copenhagen’s high-tech new science museum is starting an exciting year for the city, as Anthea Gerrie discovers

AS THE world capital of design, it should come as no surprise that in Copenhagen, even a science museum aimed at children is built to thrill adults, too — not least for the sheer exuberance of its architecture.

The reopening of the Experimentarium science and technology museum is just one in a string of reasons to book a trip to the Danish capital. In Tivoli Gardens, the Nimb Hotel is expanding to more than double its coveted 17 rooms this year, while Noma, four times voted the World’s Best Restaurant, is due to reopen in a new location within the hippy enclave of Christiania.

On the site of an old Tuborg brewery has risen Experimentarium’s new building, with perhaps the world’s most exciting staircase at its centre.

Inspired by the double helix of DNA structure and clad in 10 tons of gleaming copper, the wow factor is worth the visit alone. Just be sure to get on the right staircase to access the two huge floors of exhibits — the other ascends from the foyer to the roof, destined to become an additional outdoor exhibition space — or try the glass elevators.

And the state-of-the-art museum is about far more than the sea of metallic, textured surfaces which form its glamorous shell. At its heart is a series of highly entertaining show and tells, explaining everything from the inner workings of the human body to the wonders of 21st century technology.

It may look like child’s play — especially on weekdays when school children invade — but those travelling without kids won’t be left cold. Try, as I did, standing inside a magic circle playing a laser harp, fingers not tweaking strings but breaking parallel beams of light to create tinkling musical notes and scales — an utter delight.

It’s just one of the many innovative exhibits, from the world’s first interactive cinema, equipped with motion sensors, to a bubble-blowing centre which all ages will find irresistible.