EPFL opens its doors to the public for a weekend
© 2016 EPFL
Today and tomorrow, 5th and 6th of November, 2016, EPFL opens the doors of its campus to the public. On the overarching theme of time, close to 200 demonstrations, conferences, and shows will take visitors both old and young behind the scenes of science. The festivities include the Scientastic Festival as well as the inauguration of the new ArtLab building.
November 5th and 6th, EPFL’s pulse picks up its pace! This weekend, the campus opens its doors to the general public.
EPFL labs and services have spared no effort to put together a panoply of activities. Almost 200 posts – workshops, demonstrations, and conferences – will take visitors on a journey of scientific discovery, giving everyone something to satisfy their curiosity. The doors are open and admission is free on Saturday, November 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The complete program can be accessed online at http://portesouvertes.epfl.ch or via the “Portes ouvertes EPFL” app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. In addition to the program, the app includes a number of multimedia documents.
Six years after the last big “open doors” event in 2010, several thousands of visitors are expected on the campus. “EPFL is growing rapidly and often makes headlines. Despite that, many people don’t know what actually hides behind the School’s four-letter acronym. We would like to give them the opportunity to come and see for themselves,” explains Madeleine von Holzen, EPFL’s spokesperson.
To come and see, but also to feel. As part of the Scientastic Festival, dozens of workshops give budding scientists an opportunity to participate in a multitude of experiments under the supervision of EPFL researchers (mandatory registration at http://scientastic.epfl.ch). And a thrilling treasure hunt will have children exploring all four corners of the campus.
Under the general theme of passing time – including, in particular, a vast exhibition of the EPFL’s historical archives –, the event breaks down into seven chapters: the campus, the elements, space-time, “humans of tomorrow,” virtual worlds, perception, and every day life of the future. Everyone will find something to marvel at.
The Open Days 2016 will also be a first chance to enter the ArtLab building. This long, emblematic building will house a Montreux Jazz Café where guests can visit the archives of the famous Jazz Festival in full immersion, a Datasquare dedicated to visualizing some of EPFL’s major scientific projects, as well as an experimental museum space where new technological tools to present artwork will be developed. The inaugural exhibit will feature work by French artist Pierre Soulages in a first exhibition conceived in partnership with the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art. Innovative technologies such as hyperspectral cameras will cast certain works in his Outrenoirs series in a new light.
To access the EPFL campus on the 5th and 6th of November, visitors are strongly advised to use public transport (metro m1).