Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan
File:PlanetariumRioTinto.JPG
Location of Rio Tinto Alcan Planterium in Montreal
Established	6 April 2013 (2013-04-06)
Location	4801, avenue Pierre-de Coubertin Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1V 3V4
Coordinates
Type	Planetarium
Owner	Space for Life
Public transit access	Viau
Nearest car park	3000 Viau Street
Website	espacepourlavie.ca/en/planetarium

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium (French: Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan) is the successor to the Montreal Planetarium, and is located in the Espace pour la Vie, near the Olympic Stadium and the Biodome in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The new installation has two separate theatres as well as exhibits on space and astronomy. It was officially opened in April 2013.

The building, designed by Cardin + Ramirez et Associés, Architectes, aims to qualify as LEED Platinum.

History of the Dow Planetarium (1966-2011)

A planetarium for Expo 67!

The Montréal Planetarium – formerly known as the Dow Planetarium – was inaugurated on April 1, 1966 by Mr. Jean Drapeau, who was Montréal’s mayor at the time. This event marked the culmination of more than three years of planning and hard work by Dr. Pierre Gendron, who was past professor of chemistry and founding Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa, and an avid amateur astronomer. At the time, Dr. Gendron was also president of the board of directors of Dow Breweries, which later became O’Keefe Breweries (since then absorbed by Molson Breweries). It was through his impetus that Dow Breweries decided to endow Montréal with a world class planetarium, add to the city’s touristic appeal, and to the Montréal Universal and International Exposition of 1967, Expo 67.

Plans for the Planetarium were developed by the architectural firm of David-Barott-Boulva. The innovative design echoed an astronomical theme, evidenced by the exterior of the dome, which resembled Saturn surrounded by its rings. The Planetarium was built at a cost of $1.2 million and located on Chaboillez Square, which once served as a parking area. The building and projection equipment were completed in February 1966, and the inaugural show, New Skies for a New City, premiered on April 4, 1966.

A resounding success

Between 1966 and 2011, some six million spectators attended over 250 original productions created by the Planetarium to bring the fascinating universe of astronomy and space exploration to the masses. Some 50 lecturers and educators shared presenting duties for more than 58,000 shows in the Star Theatre. The Montréal Planetarium ceased its public activities on October 10, 2011.

2013, a new direction: the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

A renewal of the Planetarium became necessary to modernize its facilities and equipment in order to incorporate the latest technological innovations. Another imperative was added: to move the Planetarium closer to the institutions of the Space for Life in order to consolidate this museum complex. Furthermore, the Space for Life commitment to sustainable development demanded a building constructed in accordance with these principles.

When it opened in April 1966, the Dow Planetarium offered the people of Montréal and Québec a revolutionary approach to astronomy. In April 2013, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, built close to the Biodôme, picks up the baton and innovates again, breaking new ground in terms of its architecture, technology and visitor experience. In keeping with the movement initiated by the Space for Life, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium boldly forges ahead with a view to bringing humans closer to nature.

A new universe

You will never get closer to the stars than this!

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium invites you to experience the Universe like never before! Going beyond scientific knowledge, it draws on creativity and the most up-to-date technology in a fascinating encounter of science and emotion.

Opening new possibilities

Inside, two theatres of immersion offer an unconventional setting for a planetarium. Two different complementary experiences are offered: one in a poetic vain, and the other, with a scientific outlook on our Universe. This shows the Space for Life's desire to introduce a new vision of astronomy, by offering a permanent creative space in its new planetarium.

Masters of a new vision

The creative Montreal tandem of Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon were charged with the artistic direction of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. On the strength of their knowledge of new technology and their experience designing bold new shows, these multidisciplinary artists have presented a truly original vision, in which art and science are closely connected. On their impulse, the Chaos and Milky Way theatres propel visitors into a new universe.

A breathtaking meeting of technology, art and science!

Shows presented at th Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

Aurōrae

In March 2015, a team from the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium travelled to Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, to spend many frigid nights filming no fewer than 179,000 images of the northern lights, in 360°. The crew had the perfect conditions to observe these shimmering waves of light, beneath a clear sky far from sources of light pollution. In these northern regions, the aurora borealis are visible 240 nights a year, on average.

For this all-new production by the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, directors Philippe Baylaucq and Sébastien Gauthier have put together an original immersive show. Gauthier, in co-operation with Loïc Quesnel, set the images to music by DJ Champion to create an exceptional experience for audiences. The show is accompanied by live commentary by the planetarium’s science interpreters, explaining the origin of these fascinating luminous phenomena.

Technical informations

Production: Montréal Space for Life

Directors: Philippe Baylaucq and Sébastien Gauthier

Executive Producer and Project Manager: Sébastien Gauthier

Script: Sébastien Gauthier and Loïc Quesnel

Music: DJ Champion

Sound Designer: Benoît Dame

Artistic Director – special effects: François Guinaudeau

Artistic Director – aurora borealis: Rémi Boucher

Immersive filming: Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, Society for Arts and Technology, Kwon O Chull, Göran Strand

Type of show: Multimedia show with live commentary

Location: Milky Way Theatre

Target audience: Ages 7 and up

Length: 40 minutes

Dark Universe

Dark Universe is a 360° immersive show designed by a team of astrophysicists and scientific visualization experts from the American Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences and GOTO INC. They used the most recent scientific data to accurately describe both the visible and invisible sides of the Universe. Dark Universe ushers us into a new era of astronomical discoveries and answers some timeless questions. The adventure begins some 100 million light-years away from Earth and focuses on enigmatic cosmic phenomena thanks to exquisite renderings of stars and galaxy clusters on an infinitely large scale.

Dark Universe was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, and GOTO INC, Tokyo, Japan.

Technical informations

Venue: Chaos Theatre

Audience: ages 7 and up

Length: 23 minutes

Producer: American Museum of Natural History

English narration: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Writer: Timothy Ferris

Director: Carter Emmart

Curator: Mordecai-Mark Mac Low

French adaptation

Producer: Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

French narration: Luc Langevin

Writers: Matthieu Balay / Sébastien Giguère

Director: Sébastien Gauthier

Contributors: National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Peak medi

External links

• Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium - official site