The Miodrag Kostić Endowment has presented the contents and activities that will take place in the Palace of Science, the largest center for research and popularization of science in the region, which will open its doors to visitors in December this year, according to the plan. At the end of last year, the public was informed on the collaboration with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Belgrade, whose professors and students will have 19 state-of-the-art research centers at their disposal in the Palace of Science, while the contents presented now are intended to popularize science for all generations, with a special focus on children and young people.
The Palace of Science will include a permanent exhibition that will count over 30 educational and interactive exhibits that will explain technology, phenomena in space and nature, as well as the human being. In addition, a part of the space will be reserved for visiting scientific exhibitions, as new and attractive content from various scientific disciplines would be regularly available to visitors.
„A large number of exhibits in the Palace of Science will include, in addition to the mandatory educational component, elements of fun and games, in order to bring technological innovations and scientific phenomena closer to the youngest in an interesting way. We are also preparing a specially equipped children’s corner, in which contents from the fields of programming, robotics, geology, and art are designed for preschoolers. In its work, the Endowment will pay special attention to elementary school students in order to contribute to the quality of education, awakening curiosity and interest in science,” said Nemanja Đorđević, Manager of the Miodrag Kostić Endowment, noting that the entire space of 5,500m2 is designed to offer visitors a unique scientific experiences and exciting demonstrations, with robots, holograms, the application of augmented and virtual reality in exhibition settings.
In the Palace of Science, there will be the largest interactive globe in Europe, with a diameter of 3 meters, on the surface of which more than 500 different projections of the Earth, planets, aircraft trajectories, geological phenomena and climate changes will be displayed in real time, thanks to the NASA database. Among the attractive contents, the planetarium stands out, a spherical cinema with an area of over 100 m2 with 36 seats, in which, in addition to projections on the theme of space, educational films from various scientific fields will be broadcast. Visitors will have a VR escape room at their disposal, while they will be able to find a break while visiting the exhibits in the science cafe and bookstore, as well as the restaurant that will be opened on the top floor. The Miodrag Kostić Endowment will also organize workshops, seminars and scientific lectures in its multifunctional hall.
„Support for science and education motivated the President and Founder of MK Group, Miodrag Kostić, to donate 25 million euros to the Palace of Science through his Endowment and leave lasting value to current and future generations, believing that knowledge is the greatest value and something that drives society forward. This space will enable young scientists to work in top conditions and push the boundaries in scientific research, but it will also open its doors to everyone, in a mission to bring scientific discoveries closer to their application in everyday life,” said Aleksandra Stojanović, Member of the Board of Directors of the Miodrag Kostić Endowment.
The magnificent building on the corner of Kralja Milana and Kneza Miloša streets, which will house the Palace of Science, will reveal its renovated facade these days. The restoration and conservation works were carried out in cooperation with the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade, in order to preserve the architectural and artistic value of the building, which this year marks the 100th anniversary of its construction.
„I am pleased that the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade is part of a project such as the Palace of Science. Its opening will take us far into the future, and the Miodrag Kostić Endowment is a real example of how to protect a cultural monument and how to approach the preservation of objects of exceptional architectural beauty and cultural value. There are rare buildings in Belgrade architecture with such rich facade decoration”, said Olivera Vučković, Director of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade.
After a century, the Miodrag Kostić Endowment will breathe new life into the building at 11 Kralja Milana St., which was home to various banks, and now in the service of science and society, in the mission of development and exchange of knowledge that pushes boundaries.
