London, 2013-Apr-08
Jo Wajada was visiting the Crystal with her husband and his parents, whilst on holiday from Poland over Easter.
Jo Wajada was visiting the Crystal with her husband and his parents, whilst on holiday from Poland over Easter. The family came to the Crystal after reading about the building and its exhibition on the internet. To mark the occasion, the family was presented with an engraved '50,000th visitor' glass trophy and a bottle of champagne. Jo Wajada said: “The exhibition is really interesting and we are looking forward to learning more about sustainability. We're thrilled to be the 50,000th visitors at the Crystal.”
The uniquely shaped, glass-clad structure is London’s newest landmark and encompasses an area of more than 6,300 square metres. Inside is the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities covering 2,000 square metres. The high-tech exhibition is fully interactive with two immersive film theatres and more than 50 screens with a host of games and experiences that help visitors explore the cities of the future. Highlights include a Tesla coil in the ‘Go Electric’ area where visitors can ‘create electricity’ by moving their bodies. Another exhibit in the ‘Creating Cities’ space allows visitors to be the Mayor of a city and working with other ‘city experts’ you can make decisions on how your city looks and works. Electric cars, an electric motorbike and bicycles are featured in the transport section, and the exhibition concludes with ‘Future Life’, a vision of what cities might look like in 2050 on a 10 metre film screen.
The Crystal has also added a visitor shop to its attractions. The shop offers an interesting variety of products, some of which are made from recycled material, others support sustainable living or explain sustainable technology. The product range includes a salt water robot, a green rocket and a potato clock.
The exhibition has been designed in conjunction with the UK national curriculum and the content was mapped to Key Stage 3 (age eleven to fourteen) and upwards. The Crystal is a science-based attraction showcasing the best in the world’s technological advances and welcomes visits from school and college groups from around the UK and abroad.
Gordon Wakeford, Head of the Siemens Infrastructure and City Sector in the UK: “We are proud to welcome our 50,000th visitor to the Crystal only a few months after we opened this Siemens flag ship building. The Crystal is one of the most sustainable buildings in the world and hosts an interactive exhibition that explores how cities can become more sustainable, making the technology interesting, inspiring and tangible for the next generation. We have had a fantastic response from the public, who told us that the Crystal is a great place to explore as well as a place for the local community to meet and relax.”
As well as a visitor attraction, the Crystal is also a conference centre and global technology and innovation centre. It holds a conference centre with 270 seat auditorium, and is successfully hosting many major international conferences, bringing together international urban planners and exploring visions for urban development and smart cities. There is also an award winning café at the Crystal which offers excellent food and service, seats 72 and looks onto The Royal Victoria Dock.
Siemens’ investment in the Crystal highlights the company’s commitment to London and the UK, where Siemens has been established 170 years. The Crystal is a flagship project for the regeneration of East London and represents a major contribution by Siemens to the Mayor of London’s vision for London as a powerhouse of the green economy and a catalyst to create jobs and drive growth.
Entrance to the Crystal exhibition is free of charge for an introductory period. The exhibition is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. The Crystal Café is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. Fees for corporate hire will be available from the website at: www.thecrystal.org
Further information and photos of the Crystal are available online at: www.siemens.com/press/thecrystal
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Crystal is based at 1 Siemens Brothers Way, E16 1GB London, United Kingdom
2. High and low resolution pictures are available from
silke.thomson-pottebohm@siemens.com
Contact for journalists:
Siemens plc
Silke Thomson
Tel: 07808 822 780
Email : silke.thomson-pottebohm@siemens.com
For further information and press pictures, please see: www.siemens.co.uk/press
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The Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector (Munich, Germany) with approximately 90,000 employees, focuses on sustainable technologies for metropolitan areas and their infrastructures. Its offering includes products, systems and solutions for intelligent traffic management, rail-bound transportation, smart grids, energy efficient buildings, and safety and security. The Sector comprises the divisions Building Technologies, Low and Medium Voltage, Mobility and Logistics, Rail Systems and Smart Grid. For more information, visit http://www.siemens.com/infrastructure-cities
