Venue award
2006 EUROPEAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR AWARD
The 2006 European Museum of the Year Award is given to CosmoCaixa Barcelona in Spain. This new museum opened in September 2004 on the site of an older museum, with a meticulously planned museological concept which transmits itself to the visitors, every aspect of the displays having been analysed in depth. Within this framework, the Director's philosophy is that the basis of any factual presentation should be the concept of beauty, bearing in mind that beauty is also a state of mind. Beauty has been forgotten by many museums, although it is a basic human need and should be at the centre of modern museological thinking, whatever the size, resources or subject of a museum. Presentation solutions at CosmoCaixa show great creativity and intelligence. Its influence as a meeting place between science and society and as a forum for discussions in the field of museology in the field of science museums will undoubtedly spread to other kinds of museums. The geographical spread of its visitors already shows that its influence goes beyond its national borders.
Ajuda Palace, Lisbon 13 May 2006
The 2006 European Museum of the Year Award is given to CosmoCaixa Barcelona in Spain. This new museum opened in September 2004 on the site of an older museum, with a meticulously planned museological concept which transmits itself to the visitors, every aspect of the displays having been analysed in depth. Within this framework, the Director's philosophy is that the basis of any factual presentation should be the concept of beauty, bearing in mind that beauty is also a state of mind. Beauty has been forgotten by many museums, although it is a basic human need and should be at the centre of modern museological thinking, whatever the size, resources or subject of a museum. Presentation solutions at CosmoCaixa show great creativity and intelligence. Its influence as a meeting place between science and society and as a forum for discussions in the field of museology in the field of science museums will undoubtedly spread to other kinds of museums. The geographical spread of its visitors already shows that its influence goes beyond its national borders.
Ajuda Palace, Lisbon 13 May 2006
