Austria's Largest "Science Center" is Being Built in Vienna's City Centre

At the signing of the founding declaration, the Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, and the Ministry of Education shared initial details of the 17-million-euro project. The goal is to create a social meeting place in the city center of Vienna, not just a museum. A planned Gottfried Helnwein museum in the area between Wollzeile and Bäckerstraße met with significant resistance from the scientific community over the course of the year. In the fall, it was finally decided to transform the "Aula" into a new center for science communication.

"Science Center" to Offer "Science Communication at Eye Level"

The idea is backed by the two Vienna universities and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, with 17 million now flowing from the ministry and the sponsors in 2025 and 2026 into the design and structural adaptation of the historic premises in a central location. Subsequently, the three sponsoring institutions will bear the costs for the ongoing operation, as was told to journalists. The team that will manage the "Austrian Science Communication Center" will then consist of 22 people, explained Christopher Lindinger, the innovation researcher, computer scientist, and cultural manager responsible for the concept.

On over 4,000 square meters, they aim to welcome around 70,000 visitors annually, as Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) explained. The center is intended to offer "science communication at eye level", highlight its importance for everyday life, and actively counteract science hostility in the country. Especially when looking at the disinterest with which many Austrians encounter science and research, the funds invested here are "very well spent", said Polaschek, who also thanked the city of Vienna and the government for their support pro Science Center and against Helnwein museum plans.

Faßmann Sees "Science Center" as an Opportunity for a Real "Landmark"

According to APA, the University of Vienna, TU Vienna, and ÖAW do not want to be considered museum operators. The center will be "not unlike" a museum, but it will not duplicate the work already being done by institutions such as the Natural History and Technical Museum Vienna or various initiatives of local universities and research institutes, says University of Vienna Rector Sebastian Schütze. Unlike museums, the Science Communication Center will not establish collections, says Polaschek, who sees the participants entering a "new dimension" in their science communication with the new structure.

For ÖAW President Heinz Faßmann, this is an opportunity to establish a "landmark". However, the "hard work" still lies ahead for the partners, as Faßmann emphasized. In connection with the buildings that have been extensively developed into the new "ÖAW Campus" in recent years, there is ultimately the opportunity to integrate the once open "Durchhaus" for pedestrians who wanted to switch between Bäckerstraße and Wollzeile into a larger ensemble with a focus on science and research, says Lindinger. Discussions with the city of Vienna are ongoing.

Scientists to Co-Create Spaces in "Science Center"

Who will take over the leadership of the new institution is still open, says the project leader, who holds a professorship for "Art and Digitality" at the Salzburg University Mozarteum. A tender for the spatial design of the listed building, which starts in February, and the starting signal for the concrete design of the program, which could include short-term events and construction site performances even before the official opening, is fixed. By 2027, the venue, where the Jesuits once tried to convince doubting Christians of the Catholic faith in their baroque theater not only with the impressively painted ceiling but also with contemporary special effects, should be technically able to perform all pieces again, says Lindinger.

The timetable for the complex renovation is coordinated with the landlord, the Federal Real Estate Company (BIG). Until then, they will network with scientists who are to actively co-create the spaces on several floors. The focus will be on changing formats such as workshops, theme weeks, differently used discussion rooms, and shorter-term smaller shows. They do not want to establish a classic permanent exhibition. Instead, exhibits should be replaced individually or in combination with others by new ones. They also want to inspire enthusiasm for science beyond the central target group - which is teenagers and young adults "north of ten years", as Lindinger put it - with constant change and at least free admission for the core target group.

(APA/red)

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