Futurium

Description

The Futurium in Berlin is a venue for presentation and dialogue on science, research and development and opened in 2019. It is operated by the non-profit Futurium gGmbH; the institution was originally launched as a project initiative by governmental bodies, research institutions, foundations and industry stakeholders and is intended to serve as an independent platform to enable dialogue and networking between the state, science, business and society.

The exhibition building is located on Alexanderufer in the Mitte district, between the Spree, a railway line and the neighbouring Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. On a trapezoidal plot of around 6,700 m² stands a five-sided building volume with a built-up area of approximately 4,000 m². The usable floor area of the building is distributed over three levels; about 2,600 m² are designated for the permanent exhibition, and roughly 600 m² in the basement are available for special and laboratory formats.

Planning and construction were carried out in a public–private partnership following a Europe-wide procedure; the project was implemented from the mid-2010s and opened in 2019. The building combines concrete, glass and steel, takes accessibility into account and follows a low-energy approach using renewable energy sources. Part of the energy concept is a paraffin latent heat storage system for energy storage. Construction and operation were repeatedly the subject of debate, for example concerning costs, delays and the use of energy-intensive building materials.

The core idea of the Futurium is networked thinking: debates about the Anthropocene shape the concept, which understands humans, technology and nature as interconnected elements and emphasizes the existence of multiple possible futures. A constantly renewing exhibition develops societal themes as scenarios; accompanying events bring science, politics, business and civil society together in participatory formats. In the basement there is a real-world laboratory where technologies and processes can be experienced by visitors and critically examined.

Architecturally, the building is defined by a sculptural glass shell with thousands of cassette elements, generous foyers and two forecourts. In the public outdoor space stands the kinetic sculpture "Drehmoment." Inside, the Futurium offers changing installations, interactive thinking spaces on humans, nature and technology, experimental projects on artificial intelligence and bio-design, as well as a continuous exhibition dramaturgy that enables reflection on and participation in shaping the future.

On the roof a skywalk connects viewing areas with photovoltaic and solar-thermal surfaces; rainwater is collected and used for building cooling.