News

07.20.2004

Four World Class Architects Selected for
Science Center Design Competition

The Connecticut Center for Science & Exploration today announced the selection of four world class architects to participate in a competition for the opportunity to design a new landmark, statewide, science center in Hartford. The architects were selected from a semi-finalist list of eight, drawn from an initial pool of 43 international design firms vying for the project.

The four finalists are: Behnisch, Behnisch and Partner of Stuttgart, Germany; Zaha Hadid Architects of London; Cesar Pelli & Associates Architects of New Haven; and Moshe Safdie and Associates of Boston.

"We were enormously pleased and impressed with the presentations," said Cheryl A. Chase, executive vice president of Chase Enterprises and chair of the Center's Facility Committee, which is conducting the architect search on behalf of the Center's Board of Trustees. "Each of these firms has expressed the ability and the desire to help us to create an exceptional building that will attract people throughout the region with the excitement of science learning and add to Hartford's revitalization." The selection committee is being advised by Robert A. M. Stern, Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture.

The four finalists attended an in-depth orientation session in Hartford on Friday, July 16, including presentations by the Center, state and city development officials, and urban designer Ken Greenberg, who has been engaged by the Center to assure the integration of the facility into the larger renaissance of the city of Hartford.

The finalists will now develop a full and detailed proposal, including design concepts for the 160,000 square-foot science center. The competing design concepts will be presented to the public, stakeholders, and to the Facility Committee. In September, the Facility Committee will make a recommendation to the Center's Board, which will make the final selection.

"From the 43 original candidates, to the eight semi-finalists, to the four finalists, this project has attracted the attention of many of the most important architects in the world," said Theodore S. Sergi, president and CEO of the Center. "The leadership of our Board, the commitment of the State, and the vitality of our mission to elevate science learning have captured a great new sense of imagination and ambition in our community."

As finalists, each firm will develop design concepts for the Center, which will be built at the northeast corner of the Adriaen’s Landing development now underway in downtown Hartford. According to Sergi, the Center’s goals are to construct a building that will be: bold, welcoming, engaging and exciting; built from the inside-out; be a symbol of science and technology; emphasize continually changing exhibits and the concepts of exploration, discovery, imagination, and creativity; compatible with and complementary to the immediate surroundings, the urban location, the riverfront, Greater Hartford, and Connecticut; respectful of the time and financial resources available, as well as the program goals of the project; a leader in “green” technologies, functionality and accessibility; and responsive to the needs and movements of visitors, neighbors, pedestrians, and vehicles.

Many individuals and organizations have already contributed design ideas that will help achieve the Center’s goals of inspiring people of all ages to discover and embrace science, creating an exciting and educational destination that strengthens the connection between downtown and the Connecticut River. The Center plans public presentation and input sessions as part of the competition in September. The Center is inviting members of the public to offer ideas, via the Center’s website, that will be considered throughout the process. The Connecticut Center for Science & Exploration is on-line at www.ctcse.org.

In addition to the firms selected, the semi-finalists were Eisenman Architects of New York, Bernard Tschumi Architects of New York, Polshek Partnership Architects of New York, and Morphosis of Santa Monica.

Founded in September 2001 and located at Hartford’s riverfront, the Connecticut Center for Science & Exploration is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing science and math education throughout the state of the Connecticut, providing fun and challenging hands-on learning opportunities for students and adults of all ages, and engaging the community in scientific exploration. The Center plans to break ground in the fall of 2005 and open its doors late 2007.