Hydropolis, Science museum in Wrocław, Poland.
Hydropolis is a water science centre housed in a 4,600 m² neo-Gothic underground reservoir built in the 1890s as slow filter No. 5 for the Na Grobli waterworks. Its four rectangular chambers are covered by reinforced-concrete barrel vaults, with clinker-brick walls up to 126 cm thick and a clay-and-earth roof layer up to 160 cm deep. The main entrance added to the south is clad in copper.
The museum opened in 2015 and occupies a building originally constructed as an underground water storage facility for Wrocław's municipal system in the 19th century. Converting this historic infrastructure structure into a public education space connected the city's industrial past with contemporary science communication.
The seven thematic zones include a full-size replica of the bathyscaphe Trieste, the vessel that reached the deepest point of the Mariana Trench. A 360-degree panoramic screen shows the film Planeta Wody at the start of the exhibition, and a temporary exhibition zone changes its displays periodically.
A mobile app with audio guides and augmented reality features is available in multiple languages for both Android and iOS devices to enhance your visit. Being located underground means the temperature stays constant, though natural light is minimal, which makes for comfortable exploration over extended periods.
The reservoir's roof lies beneath a 160 cm layer of clay and earth covered in meadow grass, with ventilation chimneys poking out among the plants. Slopes and stairs lead up onto it, so the exhibition hall is hidden under a green mound rather than visible as a building.
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