The World Cultural Heritage Site at the Völklingen Ironworks starts the new season with the inauguration of the ScienceCenter Ferrodrom® 2007

With the opening of the new exhibitions for the Ferrodrom®, the attraction is enhancing its efforts in order to become an interactive informal learning experience theming the elements fire, water, earth and air. This year’s season was formally started by the Minister for Europe Karl Rauber, the general director Dr. Meinrad Maria Grewenig and the president of ECSITE and director of the Danish Experimentarium Asger Høeg.

The new exhibits and installations were designed and fabricated by Hüttinger.

The Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte

For more than a century, the Völklinger Hütte in Saarland Völklingen was an iron works. It is often referred to as the“icon of industrial culture”or as the “cathedral of labour, associated with the names C. Röchling, S. Thomas and, since 1982 with Arbed Saarstahl GmbH. In 1994, UNESCO put Völklinger Hütte, linked with the period of prosperity of the iron and steel industry, on the list of the World Heritage Site of mankind as the first industrial monument in the world. What is so unique is that all the stages of iron making can be experienced on the very site. Today, the Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte is the most important location of industrial culture in Europe. It is the anchoring point on the European Route of Industrial Culture (ERIH). Apart from that, numerous cultural events take place in the steelworks which are attended by more than 200,000 people every year. From the middle of the 1990ies, cultural events have taken place on the premises of the former ironworks, the spectrum ranging from open-air rock concerts to chamber music or exhibitions on man, nature and technology.

The Ferrodrom® has been open to the public since 2004, the first Science Centre in the Saar-Lor-Lux Area, a multimedia experience world about iron and steel in all its aspects. There are exhibits devoted to iron from the point of view of cultural history, iron objects can be touched, iron-related films, and also conversations with witnesses of the times together guided tours by former iron-and-steel workers who give a vivid description of the work close to the blast furnace.

New interactive stations for conducting experiments for the Ferrodrom® Science Centre

In the Burden Hall , the bowles of the iron and steel works, where ore, lime and agglomerate were once filled from the upper silo level into overhead conveyor trolleys, the Ferrodrom® Science Centre, the experience world about iron and steel in all its aspects opens its doors for the visitor on a floor space exceeding 10,000 m2. The elements fire, water, earth and air – indispensable for the production of iron – can be experienced by the visitor right in front of his or her eyes.In 2007, 50 new objects for self-participation and stations for carrying out experiments invite visitors to operate the different transport paths for themselves, to plunge into the world of iron in a fascinating blast furnace laboratory or, perhaps, to look at one of the most spectacular fire tornados in astonishment. Apart from that, the Science Park, which was opened for the public for the first time, invites visitors to take part and conduct experiments themselves. Spectacular experiments on earth’s gravity and hydraulic power, a gigantic wind machine and other fascinating objects for self-participation are waiting for the visitor.

Hüttinger, established as an engineering firm in 1921, is a one-stop shop for exhibition planning, design and fabrication.
We develop environments that promote exploration and understanding through multi-sensory experience. As a multi-disciplinary firm we can provide full-range design, communications and production services to museums, corporations and themed attractions around the globe. Our services include: Feasibility study, master planning, programme development, scientific research, conceptual design, interactive media design, architectural and interior design, design development and specifications, project management and exhibit fabrication.

Our preferred method of working is with a design/build approach. This, together with a large in-house capacity allows us to plan and deliver turnkey solutions within a single project cycle, resulting in time savings, cost savings and, ultimately, a far more satisfactory final exhibition. The essential prototyping is integral with the whole process. All in all, our clients get the best value for their money. Where design/build is not an option, we are happy to work as designers, and to bid separately for the fabrication contract.

Current key clients include:

2001 Glasgow Science Centre, Floor 1
2001 Dubai Children's City
2002 Ruhr Zoo Gelsenkirchen
2002 Science South, South Carolina (current)
2003 Experience World “Gläserne Werft”, Bremen
2003 Phaeno Science Center (on-going), Wolfsburg
2003 Odysseum Cologne (on-going)
2004 Prince Salman Science Oasis, Riyadh
2005 Guangdong Science Center
2006 Technopolis Mechelen
2006 Communications Museum Macau
2006 Science Museum London (on-going)
2006 National Science Museum Thailand (on-going)
2007 Palais découverte Paris

Hüttinger Exhibition Engineering
Kurt Hüttinger GmbH
Mittelbügweg 90
D - 90571 Schwaig bei Nürnberg

Tel: +49 / 911 / 99 5 33 - 0
Fax: + 49/ 911 / 99 5 33 - 99
Website: www.huettinger.de
Contact: Axel E. Hüttinger, axel@huettinger.de

This release was published on openPR.