curiosity & wonder Planning Roadmap for Kocaeli Science Center September 2009 3601 Lyon Street San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone +1 415 353-0432 www.exploratorium.edu/exhibit_services Executive Summary 2 Executive Summary : Planning Roadmap for the Kocaeli Science Center The Municipality of Kocaeli engaged the Exploratorium to Master Planning Process develop a master plan to help guide the development of the new Kocaeli Science Center. After visiting the Exploratorium the Kocaeli Science Center project team invited the Exploratorium planning group The Kocaeli Science Center will be located in a portion of to put together a road map or action plan to assist them the former Seka Paper factory in the middle of the newly in implementing their vision. The Exploratorium team created Seka Park. The museum buildings are just over visited Kocaeli for four days at the end of June 2009 and a bridge crossing the railroad tracks from the incredibly conducted a series of workshops and listening sessions popular Seka Park waterfront development. While the with the Project Team, representatives of the Municipality, Science Center will be part of an urban redevelopment and some community leaders. project, the primary purpose will be to support science and technology learning, stimulate curiosity and be a new This plan comes directly from the vision of the project team, cultural attraction for the community. In addition to the the Municipality and the community. It lays out the initial Science Center other arts and cultural organizations will planning ideas and steps to advance the project. Since share the site. there is no one right way to proceed, as decisions are made and opportunities arise, this road map can be used This is an exciting new project, which will have an important to assess those opportunities and address the impacts on impact on the Municipality of Kocaeli, educationally, other parts of the plan. For this reason we have started culturally and by attracting millions of residents and tourists out with a Vision statement and Core Purpose. These will to the area. It is destined to be a model for the whole be used to guide the decisions and planning process going country. forward. 3 Purpose Statement • Target Audiences Increased pride in the community, especially The core purpose of the Kocaeli Science Center emerged through around the planning work and reflects the commitment of the Municipality of Kocaeli to support lifelong science learning for all of its residents and visitors. TOURISTS To change the way people look at and learn about the world. BUSINESSES COMMUNITY Stimulate curiosity, wonder and thinking. GROUps TEACHERS FAMILIES These two statements of core purpose will guide the selection and developmentThese two statements of exhibits, of activities,core purpose programs will guide and theeven sel theection overall and YOUNG PEOPLE organizationdevelopment of of the exhibits, Science activities, Center. programs This is not and to evensay that the there overall won’t (AGES 7 -17) SCHOOL GrOUps be many other significant outcomes and impacts of the Center on the organization of the Science Center. This is not to say that there won’t PRE-PRIMARY FAMILY GrOUps NON-scIENCE ON THEIR OWN Communitybe many other and significant the Municipality. outcomes Additional and impacts outcomes of the will Center include: on the STUDENTS INTEREST Community and the Municipality. Additional outcomes will include: • Increased tourism to Kocaeli UNIVERSITY ADULTS STUDENTS UNIVERSITIES • Increased tourism to Kocaeli • Economic development in area ALONE • Economic development in area • Significant changes in how science is taught and learned in the CHAMBER OF Kocaeli schools INDUSTRY • Significant changes in how science is taught and learned in the Kocaeli schools • A new place for young people to meet and exchange ideas • A new place for young people to meet and exchange ideas • Stimulate dialogue between scientists and general public • Stimulate dialogue between scientists and general public • A community center with conferences, special events and programs • A community center with conferences, special events and programs • Increased pride in the community, especially around science as culture and our industrial heritage 4 Exhibit and Program Values The core purpose establishes the reason for creating the museum and what we hope to attain, and the target audiences establish for whom the museum is being built. Together these form the foundation of the Kocaeli Science Center. The exhibit and program values provide a set of guiding principles that will help the project team select how we will achieve the core purpose. These values outline the most important characteristics of the Kocaeli Science Center museum experience that we hope to achieve. Based on this preliminary work, we feel that the Kocaeli Science Center values: • The importance of self-discovery and asking questions. • The opportunity to learn together. • The family as a core unit for visiting the museum. • A diversity of people visiting our museum. • The whole person, Mind, Body, and Emotions. • The community we live in. • The educational community. • Play, laughter, conversation, and mess. • A curious, energetic, and empowered team. 5 Preliminary Space Plan The initial focus of the planning group has been on the We also feel that it is important to identify possible space for U-shaped building. The total area of this building is future expansion of the Science Center. Many science centers approximately 5,580 m2, including the center atrium space. around the world have developed through multiple expansion Based on the Business Planning analysis, we feel that this stages, while a few have made the mistake of opening too building alone is not enough room for the Science Center, much building at the beginning, drawing critical resources especially if a large format theater is added to the program. from the programming for building operations. The Seka Park For the purposes of this plan, we are recommending that development provides ample opportunity for future expansion additional space be identified in surrounding buildings and in the areas mentioned above. outside to bring the total available space to about 10,000 m2. SECONDSECOND FLOOR First Floor Second Floor SCIENCE THEATER OFFICES SECOND FLOOR n n Walkway to Sensing SPECIAL EXHIBITS Discovery n Traits of Life GALLERY CONFERENCE ROOMS n n STORAGE Entry Hall & The Making Your World U(NIVERSE) AND ME SHARED SPACE Gallery of Wonder n Tinkering Studio n Crossroads & Classroom EXHIBITS TO OFFICES WORKSHOP BRIDGE n THE FUTURE Up, Down & TASTING SMELLING TOUCHING All Around CROSSROADS PORTAL LISTENING FIFIRRSTST FLOOR TO PAPER S E N S IG N n UP, DOWN Children’s & ALL FACTORY SEEING AROUND DYNAMIC MAKING EARTH YOUR Discovery Zone CHILDREN’S AS MAKERS WORLD I DISCOVERY TRAITS FIRST FLOOR n GALLERY Dynamic Earth ZONE OF WATER OF CAEL WONDER KO n LIFE TINKERING Water CAFE ENTRY STORE STUDIO HALL CLASSROOM/ n Portal to Paper ADMISSIONS WET LAB FIRST FLOOR SECOND FLOOR n Science Theater n WALKWAY U(niverse) and Me TO DISCOVERY 6 CLASSROOM/ TINKERING SHOP Preliminary Operating Attendance Potential Assumptions Projecting the attendance potential is one of the most • The attendance potential is for the number of visitors who important factors in a planning study. Many decisions depend come to the Science Center. on this projection and it is often used a measure of success • The lower potential figures are based on a 5,580 m2 for the project. We strongly urge that attendance not be the facility with approximately 4,180 m2 of exhibition space. sole measure of success. It should be considered only one of a handful of measures, including the ones described in • The higher potential estimates reflect about 2,500 m2 of the core purpose. Attendance naturally fluctuates in science additional program space. centers often as much as 20% up and down depending on factors such as special exhibitions, the economy, competition • The exhibitions are of the highest quality, engaging open- and marketing. In addition, almost all new science centers ended experiences as discussed in the planning meetings see a substantially larger attendance in the opening year or and similar to those in the Exploratorium. two than in later, or more stable years. • The facility will be operated consistent with quality ASTC Benchmark data from science centers around the world were science center operations. used to estimate the attendance potential for the Kocaeli Science Center for a normalized, or stable year, four years • A full array of programs, events and festivals, as described after opening. herein will presented. We developed a range of potential attendance estimates based on two different models. Then we selected a mid level assumption of 475,000 visitors per year to use in developing the projected operating budgets. 7 Detailed Expenses and Revenue Attendance 475,000 Projected Operating Budget Admission fee ($US) Adult $7.00 The projected operating budget will provide the Expenses Youth $5.00 Child $3.00 framework for estimating the operating costs The expenses are based on the type of and staffing levels for the new science center. Store per capita revenue $1.00 science center described above. We included No Food Service It can be used to make decisions on things expenses for renewing the exhibition base, like pricing and levels of programming needed Full Time staff 47 Part Time FTE 36 for special traveling exhibits and for enough to serve the visitors. The budget model uses staff so that new program and events can be Revenue a number of key assumptions, such as the Admissions developed and presented. There is a small attendance potential that we have developed. General Public $1,588,875 staff for developing a few new exhibits, but Reserved Groups $235,125 These assumptions are used to develop the Membership $244,460 a large exhibit shop would have to be added Programs $427,500 model, but they can certainly be changed.