Future life – this is how the elementary school final graders we surveyed called the subject they thought would be the most valuable in the school curriculum. During the FL (future life) classes, these young people, who think about their adulthood with a mix of fear and anxiety, would like to learn practical things, such as paying taxes, job searching, and coping with problems. Although they have probably never heard of the term “future competencies”, they seem to have discovered the need to develop these skills by themselves. It makes us very happy because this is the main purpose of opening the Copernican Revolution Lab (CRL). We want to develop the education of the future and support young people’s learning.

What is CRL

The Copernican Revolution Lab is a place for research and development. A place where, together with our partners, we create new exhibitions, exhibits, educational aids and scenarios, interdisciplinary projects, and events. Our activities will include:
- Creation of exhibits, educational aids, and classroom scenarios.
- Utility testing of finished products.
- Development of scientific communication formats.
- Developing methods of designing educational solutions with the participation of future users.
- Increasing knowledge about the learning environment and students and teachers’ scientific and educational practices.

We want to share this new space with other researchers involved in education. That is why we will invite scientific institutions, engineers, psychologists, sociologists, teachers, educators, artists, inventors, and business representatives to the Copernican Revolution Lab. By using our infrastructure, they will be able to carry out their own projects or participate in ours. We hope that CRL will become a truly creative melting pot in which bold ideas will be transformed into innovative solutions.

From an idea to a product

The building has been designed in a way that allows projects to be implemented from beginning to end. Only a few steps separate your idea from the finished product. Here you can quickly create and improve prototypes. Superbly equipped workshops (with professional equipment for prototype production) and laboratories, provided with technologically advanced instruments and apparatus enabling biological, chemical and physical experiments, are the core of the building. This equipment will be used mainly by scientists and researchers.

Each finished project needs testing – preferably with the participation of future users, in our specially arranged rooms. Some resemble a school classroom, others – an apartment or a lab. In them, you will be able to conduct group classes and monitor their dynamics from special rooms equipped with Venetian mirrors and devices, enabling participants’ behaviour recording and analysis. The focus group study areas have been prepared with researchers in mind, mainly psychologists and sociologists, as well as designers, who will be able to see how their products are used. The ground floor is an open space. Walking around Powiśle, you will be able to visit the showroom and see what we’ve been working on recently. Right next to it, you will find the educational FabLab – a workshop space where we plan to organise DIY classes for children, teenagers and adults. The CRL also features an audio-video recording studio for digital creators and a café overlooking the Vistula River, open to everyone!

Equipment

At the CRL, we have over 1,500 assorted pieces of equipment – over 250 types of devices:
– 34 high-tech microscopes, 17 industrial robots, precision scales, magnetic stirrers, automatic pipettes, measuring probes and other laboratory equipment,
– over 50 different tools and power tools for own work in the FabLab,
– approx. 10 different large workshop machines such as a CNC lathe, an industrial laser cutter, a milling machine and 3D printers,
– two sets for observing and analysing the participants’ behaviour, featuring a monitoring system (cameras, microphones), software and eye tracking equipment.

The building

The facility can accommodate up to 600 people. It comprises three above-ground floors and one underground floor with a total area of approx. 6,000 m². One of the most interesting architectural features of the building is its façade. It is made of air-filled, double-layer ETFE cushions resistant to contaminants, chemicals and extreme temperature changes. It transmits a lot of light (90% to 95%) and additionally provides thermal insulation for the interior. This solution means that the building requires less energy for lighting, heating and cooling the interior. This is only one of many pro-environmental solutions applied in the Lab building. Other include photovoltaic panels and installations on the roof enabling the use of rainwater in sanitary facilities.

The architectural concept of the new Copernicus Science Centre building was developed by the Wrocław-based Heinle, Wischer und Partner Architekci Sp. z o.o. studio, headed by Edzard Schultz and Anna Stryszewska-Słońska. General contractor: UNIBEP S.A. Project supervision: Bico Group.

Partners

The Copernican Revolution Lab brings together representatives of various communities involved in advancing education. We conduct research and development activities together with the Copernican Revolution Lab consortium members, which are Moje Bambino Sp. z o.o. sp. k. and BeCREO Technologies Sp. z o.o. CRL’s activities are also financially supported by its partners. The Main Partner of the Copernican Revolution Lab and simultaneously the Strategic Partner of the Copernicus Science Centre is Samsung Electronics Polska Sp. z o.o., whereas the CRL’s Investment Partner is Saint-Gobain Innovative Materials Polska Sp. z o.o.

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The project “Construction of the Copernican Revolution Lab building as part of the extension of the Copernicus Science Centre” is co-financed from the funds of the Capital City of Warsaw – Agreement on the specific subsidy from the funds of the Capital City of Warsaw No. C/OM/VII/P3/99/U-263/2018-2021 of 31 October 2018. Co-financing amount: PLN 27,690,101.00.

The project “Establishment of the Copernican Revolution Lab operating within the Copernicus Science Centre” is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Regional Operational Programme of the Mazovian Voivodeship for the years 2014-2020, Priority Axis I Use of research and development activities in the economy, Measure 1.1, Research and development activities of scientific units – Project co-financing agreement No. RPMA.01.01.00-14-9876/17-00 of 31 October 2018. Co-financing amount: PLN 16,765,860.42