On June 23, 2024, the Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon hosted its first visitors! Even before the opening, we were able to take a look at the interiors of the building, designed by the Koza Nostra office and designed by the Wroclaw branch of Heinle Wischer und Partner Architects. How does the investment, valued at more than 280 million zlotys, compare, and will it repeat the success of Warsaw's Copernicus? A day before the opening, we were able to take a peek inside and find out how Cogiteon looks from the inside.
The first discussions about the Malopolska Science Center appeared as early as 2011, when the construction of an institution aimed at popularizing science in a similar way to that of Warsaw's Copernicus Science Center was considered. More serious discussions on the establishment of a new institution took place in 2016, while a year later the Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon was formally established. In February 2018, the result of the competition organized by the Cracow branch of the SARP for the headquarters of Cogiteon was announced - the winner was the design of the Wroclaw office Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci. The Koza Nostra studio from Cracow, responsible, among other things, for local projects at the KL Płaszów Museum and the Municipal Museum of Engineering and Technology in Kazimierz, was selected as the authors of the exhibition. Construction of the MCN took a total of 33 months and proceeded not without problems, for which the building's location was mainly responsible. This is because the Cogiteon was erected in the area of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airport, which is under conservation protection and serves as a green enclave, a meeting and recreation place for the local community. After numerous controversies, which we wrote about here, the Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon welcomed its first visitors on June 23, 2024.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
pledge yourself and put yourself down
The inauguration of Cogiteon was held with pomp - the first day of the event was dominated by entertainment, there were demonstration flights of airframes, a music stage where Leszek Możdżer played, among others, or projections of Wojciech Siudmak's compositions, displayed on the walls of the new building. The second day, which began with a violent storm, had a more intimate and educational dimension - visitors from the morning could take part in experiments organized at the Krakow University of Technology stands, while in the evening Majka Jeżowska gave her performance. It's hard to say who needed the event more - the local community or rather the Center and the artists and speakers performing for it. Its wide scope is a bit surprising, considering that at about the same time the much more anticipated Wianki Krakowskie (Wreaths of Krakow) took place. The two-day celebration of Cogiteon's opening caused confusion for some - during the second day of the event, the entrance hall was packed with people hoping to see the exhibitions so heavily promoted by Cogiteon. However, those eager to do so had to get a taste, as the actual opening of the MCN had to wait until the next day.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
Cogiteon pyramid
Unfortunately, it is not only the opening of Cogiteon that could confuse - the building itself is also quite complicated in its structure. The building, designed by Heinle Wischer und Partner Architekci, is in fact a complex of four pavilions, which together form a shape that resembles a triangle in its outline. The pavilions of different heights emerge from under the ground level near the surface of the runway to reach the highest point on the side of Bora-Komorowskiego Avenue. The lump of the building is very careful in expression, blending into the landscape, regardless of from which side it is viewed - taking into account the conservation-protected area of the Rakowice-Czyżyny airport, on which the Center stood, this should be considered a definite asset of the project. From the south, the gently creeping outline of the roof garden rises imperceptibly above the horizon line. To the west, the triangular silhouette of the Cogiteon visually merges with the runway line, bringing to mind the trajectory of an ascending aircraft. Along Bora-Komorowskiego Avenue, at the northern end of the building, the main entrance and a scientific playground, by far the largest and most diverse in the area, have been planned - the need for such a place could already be felt some time before the opening of Cogiteon, as the square was regularly besieged by families with children.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
However, the non-invasive nature of the Cogiteon's silhouette also has drawbacks - first and foremost, there are problems with communication around the building. Its uniform facades do not indicate in any way where the Cogiteon's interior can be accessed. The only clue can be provided by locating the entrance in the tallest of the four pavilions and the institution's logo atop it, which, however, is not set on the axis of the door. Therefore, when trying to enter the Center, one can get lost. As a consolation, it is worth adding that an unplanned walk may end with an exploration of the extensive roof garden, the only one of its kind in Krakow. It features trees, flower meadows, benches and educational installations. It's a pity that the highest, northern part of the rooftop garden remains inaccessible to visitors, which is taken care of by not very aesthetic barriers.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
underground labyrinth
The building's interiors give the impression of being very futuristic - minimalist, austere spaces cast in light-colored concrete are brightened by densely spaced fluorescent lights of extremely cold color. Exploring Cogiteon, one gets the impression that one is moving through the interiors of a specialized research facility or even a spaceship. It should be noted, however, that the intense lighting seems to be tiring in the long run. People sensitive to prolonged exposure to intensely lit interiors may find exploring Cogiteon problematic.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
The main theme around which the exhibitions and public spaces of Cogiteon have been arranged is circles. For example, the pavilion that serves as the Visitor Service Center contains, among other things, a ticket office, a museum store and a small temporary exhibition area. All these elements are separated in the form of circle-shaped islands scattered throughout the hall. The end result, interesting and visually consistent, gives the halls a scenographic feel that encourages further exploration. The fragmentation of the space also works in favor of the perception of the building's area, which, thanks to such development, appears to be much larger than it actually is. Unfortunately, such fragmentation, in addition to encouraging the "discovery" of more nooks and crannies, can promote wandering around the Center, which is not well connected enough anyway.
The situation is not improved by the homogeneous color scheme of light gray concrete and the lack of distinctive landmarks - the visitor center and adjacent infrastructure look almost identical in all places and all directions. Getting around Cogiteon is supposed to be made easier by a corridor running along the eastern wall of the building, connecting all four pavilions together. However, the way it has been arranged does not encourage use - it looks more like a part of the infrastructure intended for use by those employed at the facility. The furnishings are also not very favorable - the plastic trash cans and café tables, as well as the round seats in red and blue, look rather tacky.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
education for six
You can breathe a sigh of relief when you enter the exhibition spaces, designed by Krakow-based studio Koza Nostra. The permanent exhibition has been divided into five sections - importantly, they can be viewed not only linearly, but also selectively, as the halls have been designed so that it is possible to enter each section separately, using one of the five passages in the visitor center. Each part of the exhibition entitled "Man and His Dreams" has its own thematic area. These are, in sequence: "How do you feel?"; "What do we have in common?"; "How does the world work?"; "How do we change the Earth?" and "How do you imagine it?".
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architects + Koza Nostra
All halls feature interactive educational stations, combining haptic and multimedia ways of transmitting knowledge and interacting with visitors. Among other things, we can find there an optical experiment zone, a model of a spaceship or a neon sign with fantastic creatures designed by children. Importantly, all sections feature smaller "rooms" built on a circular plan, in keeping with the theme of Cogiteon's architecture. The zones of tranquility - for that's what they're called - allow visitors to rest from the onslaught of stimuli with which they are bombarded while using the multimedia facilities. It has to be said that Koza Nostra has developed a visually appealing, coherent space that encourages exploration and does not impose a top-down direction for visiting. In addition to temporary exhibitions, Koza Nostra is responsible for the design of equally attractive play spaces, located at the museum's "In the Field" restaurant. Certainly, a complex of six laboratories, located behind the exhibition part, is characterized by great educational potential - you can find here, among others, taste, chemical and physical laboratories, an innovation zone and a greenhouse.
Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon
Photo: Przemyslaw Ciępka © Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci + Koza Nostra
cognitive dissonance
The Malopolska Science Center Cogiteon will certainly have a positive impact on Czyżyny's cultural offer, and it is hoped that its rather remote location from the center will also not prevent it from attracting knowledge-hungry people from outside Krakow. However, the Cogiteon building itself is, in my opinion, a minor disappointment - despite its great educational potential, spectacular roof garden and excellently designed permanent exhibition, the public spaces inside the facility give the impression of being too sterile and uncharacteristic, and in addition, non-functional. Getting to know Cogiteon, I found myself balancing between exciting exhibition spaces and a tedious visitor center with all its infrastructure. Visitors to Cogiteon can therefore be wished perseverance and determination, because after a not-so-pleasant foray through the service center, an exceptionally successful excursion into the world of science awaits.
