Pheano Science Center Wolfsburg Germany

Pheano Science Center Wolfsburg Germany - 2000-2005 - architect Zaha Hadid -
Phæno, "The Experimental Landscape" has joined the top ranks of international science museums since its grand opening in November, 2005. The museum has some 250 hands-on experimental stations within its 9,000 square meters of exhibit space. Phæno's building, sculpted from SCC, or self-compacting concrete, as "a covered artificial landscape with undulating hills and valleys" that incorporates "jagged angles, looming curves, fractured planes, and daring protrusions." Zaha Hadid of London was able to realize her architectural vision after winning an international competition that attracted 23 proposals from major architects in eight countries. The project, including an underground parking garage and a bridge link to the city, cost € 79 million and required 4½ years to build. The vast interior space is unstructured, for the most part, making it the kind of place where adults and children can wander around freely and sample the exhibits or hands-on experiments that interest them.