Science Centre Immaginario Scientifico di Pordenone

Pordenone's Immaginario Scientifico occupies the former dye works of the Cotonificio di Torre. This industrial setting has been adapted to a science-centre approach based on experimentation and the direct observation of physical phenomena.

Why it matters

The reuse connects two different kinds of knowledge: the manufacturing history of the cotton mill and the communication of science through interactive exhibits. Rather than concentrating on a collection of historic objects, the centre interprets processes that can be observed through light, movement and perception.

What to notice

Thematic exhibits address mirrors, colour, shadows, waves, gravity, forces and other physical relationships. The installation 100,000 anni in un foglio di carta uses stacked paper to represent the scale of Earth's history. The contrast between this representation of deep time and the former factory gives the setting another dimension.

Context and history

The municipality recovered the dye-works building for museum use, retaining its industrial-archaeology character. As the Pordenone seat of the Immaginario Scientifico, it belongs to a wider tradition of hands-on science communication associated with the organisation's work in Trieste.