On December 10, 2007, in presence of the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada and Minister Responsible for the Montréal Region; of Mr. Raymond Bachand, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Minister of Tourism and Minister Responsible for the Montréal Region; of Mr. Dick Evans, chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan; and of Mr. Pierre B. Meunier, president of the Montreal Nature Museums Foundation, Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Gérald Tremblay, officially announced that an agreement was reached between all three levels of governement and a private partner, allowing the realization of the new Montréal Planetarium.
The new facilities will carry the name Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan de Montréal, underscoring the important contribution of the business group, which is investing four million dollars in private funds in this project.
The new Planetarium will be located on the Régie des installations olympiques site, next to the Montréal Biodome, making it possible to create tremendous synergy between the two institutions. The Biodome and Planetarium will share certain spaces and services, so that visitors can enjoy unforgettable experiences in the Biodome's ecosystems and the Planetarium's Star Theatre.
Locating the Planetarium in the east end of Montréal will connect it geographically with Montréal’s other Nature Museums and strengthen Canada’s largest museum complex in natural sciences.
The Star Theatre is sure to be the heart of the new Planetarium. In addition to simulating the starry sky and all its movements, it will also be able to carry visitors off to the middle of a star cluster or to the surface of another planet. They will be immersed in an impressively realistic and detailed environment, thanks to the latest video and audio technology. New partnerships may be forged with the Montréal multimedia industry.
With the addition of laboratories and exhibition and activity rooms, the new Planetarium will be able to handle 800 visitors at a time. The building itself will meet LEED environmental criteria and will feature aluminium as much as possible.
Preliminary and construction phases will take about three years to complete. The new facilities are expected to open to the public in March 2012. In the meantime, the Montréal Planetarium will continue normal operations from its existing facilities in Downtown Montréal, until further notice.
More
Press Releases
December 8, 2008 — Architectural competition: New deadline for submissions; See Addendum to Call for Proposals (PDF Document, 16 KB)
November 3, 2008 — Architectural competition: Call for Proposals (PDF Document, 63 KB)
October 22, 2008 — Architectural competition launched: see Press Release (PDF Document, 104 KB)
