This article is about a water science centre. For other uses, see Hydropolis.
Hydropolis
General information
Location
17 Na Grobli Street, 50-421 Wrocław
Opened
December 2015
Owner
MPWiK Wrocław
Hydropolis (The Centre for Ecological Education "Hydropolis", Polish: Centrum Edukacji Ekologicznej „Hydropolis”) is the only science centre in Poland dedicated to water, located in the city of Wrocław.[1]
Its exhibitions use a variety of technology to teach visitors about the role of water in the environment, its importance to humans, and the history of human interactions with water.[2]
Background
According to its website, "Hydropolis is a place where diverse multimedia technologies, interactive installations, faithful replicas and models, as well as touch screens providing extensive information, serve one purpose - to show water from various fascinating perspectives."[3] The exhibition consists of a series of thematic areas: The Planet of Water, The Depths, The Ocean of Life, Relaxation Zone, Man and Water, The History of Water Engineering, The City and Water, The States of Water, along with a children's zone and a temporary exhibition zone.[4] The centre is fully accessible for people with disabilities.[5] In addition to the exhibition, Hydropolis offers educational workshops for children from kindergarten through secondary school age.[6]
History
The centre is located in a 4600 m² historic neo-Gothic underground reservoir, which had been used for drinking water from the time of its construction in the 1890s.[7] The facility is owned by the city's Municipal Water and Sewage Company (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji).[2] It was added to the register of monuments in 2002.[7] In 2011 the reservoir was taken out of use, and renovated to create Hydropolis, which opened in 2015.[3]
