Chalmers' visitor centre for space technology and astronomy is located right next to the telescopes at Onsala Space Observatory.
Chalmers' visitor centre for space technology and astronomy is located right next to the telescopes at Onsala Space Observatory. The result of an innovative, climate-aware building project, the centre was inaugurated on 27 September 2022. A new exhibition in the centre is taking shape, developed with local schools and other partners.
Mission
At the visitor centre, school classes and the general public can experience and discover how technology makes it possible to explore space and the universe. Here visitors can get close to Onsala Space Observatory's telescopes and instruments, the research they conduct, and the observatory's international projects, among them the SKA Observatory. Visitors can also discover space research being done at Chalmers and by its partners in west Sweden.
Exhibition
In the visitor centre we are creating a new, modern exhibition. Here, visitors of all ages can experience - and discover for themselves - the universe, the Earth and the technology used to explore both space and our planet.
Visitors and how to visit
The visitor center is open for prebooked groups and events only. Our visitors are school students from year 2 up to upper secondary school, and the general public. We offer guided tours for both schools and other groups, plus regular events for the general public.
Location
The centre is located close to working telescopes at Onsala Space Observatory, on the west coast of Sweden, south of Gothenburg. The building is close to both the 25-metre telescope and to Onsala's Twin Telescopes.
Sustainable construction
The centre has been built as far as possible following sustainable building practices. We have aimed to minimise climate impact and maximise reuse and circularity.
Before and during construction, we tested many new approaches, from emissions-driven procurement to planning and implementing new and remodeling projects with minimal climate impact.
Chalmersfastigheter has been purchaser and developer for the project. The building was designed by White arkitekter. NCC Building Sweden was the building contractor for the project.
Chalmersfastigheter has its own page with information in Swedish about the construction project.
The centre was built in 2021 and 2022 and was opened on 27 September 2022. The first visitors will be received during late 2022.
Partners
Planning and construction are coordinated by the Department of Space, Earth and Environment at Chalmers and Chalmersfastigheter. Onsala Space Observatory works together with Chalmers fundraising office, Universeum, Slottsskogsobservatoriet, and others.
The exhibition is being developed in collaboration with some of the region's schools and with the division for Interaction Design at Chalmers’ Department of Computer Science and Information Technology.
Read more
New "portal to space" at Onsala Space Observatory (news article 2022-09-29)
Space is coming closer: a climate-smart visitor center in Onsala (press release in Swedish, 2019-09-23)
Contacts
Robert Cumming, astronomer and communicator, Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers, +46 70 493 3114 or +46 31 772 5500, robert.cumming@chalmers.se
Eva Wirström, Division head and Deputy Director, Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers, eva.wirstrom@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 5500
Gabriell Asmar, project manager, Chalmersfastigheter, gabriell.asmar@chalmersfastigheter.se