Monday, May 07, 2007

Netherlands: Amsterdam - NEMO



One of the most impressive places in Amsterdam (maybe in the Netherlands) is the NEMO museum. Why named NEMO? "NEMO means ‘nobody’. People visiting NEMO believe themselves to be in no man’s land, where fantasies suddenly seem to become real." from the museum's website. It was designed by Renzo Piano and was finished in 1997. The material covering it is oxidized copper, with a technique called "standing seams", one as old as the use of copper itself. The copper facade, which measures approximately 6,000 square metres, was assembled in less than six months.



NEMO is like a submarine emerging from the sea, or a huge whale, or a ship sinking. It is positioned at the very end of a road tunnel going under the sea, effectively hiding it from everyone! It is a science museum geared towards children (adult children too, :-)). Unfortunately I did not have much time there so I did not enter, only saw it from outside. I love their motto: Forbidden Not to Touch! In the summer, the roof is transformed into a city beach with a cafe nearby. You have to pay to enter the museum but the access to the terrace is free.

2 comments:

  1. the submarine look is completely wild, i love it. by the way, nemo means "nobody"? how interesting, since the cartoon "finding nemo" would literally mean "finding nobody" then...

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