We're almost there! At the end of this month, the Millennium Dome will open for business amidst a fanfare of publicity. You can read about it, follow the story on TV, and talk about the costs involved endlessly; soon we will all be able to judge for ourselves.
There has been much speculation about the contents of the twelve Zones within the Dome. Although few details have yet been released, part of the area is definitely given over to a Work and Learn Zone. This information is taken from the current publicity:
A building with exterior walls that move, enabling it to change its façade is among the dramatic features of the joint Work and Learn zones. The exterior of the Work and Learn building will be the first structure visitors see on entering the Dome. The dynamic façade will be made from the largest revolving panels in the world, similar to the large roadside billboard hoardings that rotate to reveal three separate images.
At 12 metres high (the height of a four-storey building) and 72 metres long, the two public facades will show powerful images which will change every five seconds.
Work & Learn are the only zones in the Dome that are housed in a single structure. As well as the physical links there is also a narrative link resulting from their shared focus – in the new millennium developing our skills and committing to life-long learning are a necessity if we are going to prosper individually and as a nation.
On entering the building, visitors first encounter the Work zone, sponsored by Manpower. ‘Work’ will highlight the new world of work and further details of the visitor experience will be revealed shortly.
The Learn zone, sponsored by Tesco, presents the new world of learning in an unusual and imaginative way, accessible for all ages. A deliberately theatrical school corridor with all its sights, sounds and smells, from school bells and ranting headmasters to boiled cabbage and playground laughter, will re-enforce the visitors pre-conceptions about learning.
As the bells ring, doors fly open and visitors are propelled into a new theatre space where they will be entertained by a show, part film, part theatre, that has been commissioned from the BBC. This show will transform attitudes to learning by offering an experience that will be entertaining, memorable and unique.
The screen will then melt away and visitors will be led into the "learning orchard". This orchard, with trees and grass, will present an unexpected and new world of learning, one in which all barriers are broken down. Within it are 50 interactive displays that will engage the visitor showing how this new era of life-long learning can be accessible through the expansion of technology such as Tesco SchoolNet2000.
Shortly, TrainingZone will be announcing details of a promotional offer for members to spend a day at the Dome. Keep watching LearningWire for details.
