People will be able to explore the Ostrava Great World of Technology

Ostrava - This autumn, a Great World of Technology will open in the Lower Vítkovice area of Ostrava, which will present science and technology in a playful and entertaining manner. However, the public will have the opportunity to view the unusual triangular building designed by architect Josef Pleskot several months earlier, Jakub Švrček, the director of the World of Technology, told reporters today.
   For the first time, people will be able to walk through the center in its bare form, without exhibitions, as early as March. It will first open on March 14, symbolically on the 135th anniversary of the birth of one of the most significant scientists, Albert Einstein. A part of the accompanying program will also be dedicated to him until March 20, with lectures prepared on his life and work. At the same time, throughout the week, guided tours of the building itself will be conducted by Pleskot or his collaborators.
   According to Švrček, the building itself is architecturally interesting. The structure attracts attention mainly due to its glass facade, which reflects the industrial surroundings. "The building has an original and memorable form defined by two main materials: mirrored glass and classic sharply burnt bricks. It's not obvious to someone on the street how large the building actually is. Only when they step inside do they understand that it is, in fact, enormous," noted Pleskot.
   According to Švrček, visitors will have the chance to take a detailed look at the future exhibition spaces, lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, or a 3D cinema. "This opportunity will never be repeated, because afterward the spaces will be filled with the equipment of the individual rooms and, primarily, with exhibits. People will even get to places that they would not normally see as regular visitors," said Švrček. People should have another opportunity to visit the center in the summer, with the official opening planned for September.
   The Great World of Technology will consist of four worlds with permanent exhibitions. These will include the Children's World, World of Science and Discoveries, World of Nature, and World of Civilization. It will also include a cinema hall with a capacity of 200 spectators as well as a so-called "show and demo" space. This is a lecture hall with an auditorium and stage where interactive lessons and games can take place. It can accommodate 80 to 100 people. The building has five floors. Three of them will be accessible to visitors. The remaining floors will house the administrative and technological background. The center, costing 680 million crowns, has been under construction in Ostrava since 2012.
   Currently, a Small World of Technology operates in the Lower Vítkovice area, which was established in the former VI. energy central now called U6. It introduces visitors to the development of technology in the Czech lands over the past 200 years. The exhibition is created in the spirit of the French novelist Jules Verne. "Our goal is for the objects to resonate with each other, not to compete. U6 is more focused on history, while the Great World of Technology is more focused on the present and future," Švrček stated.