Globe of Science and Innovation
Initially built for the Swiss national exhibition Expo.02, when it was known as the Palais de l’Equilibre, the Globe was donated to CERN by the Swiss Confederation on the occasion of the Organization’s 50th anniversary in 2004. Since then, CERN has used the Globe as an outreach and communication tool.
Designed by Geneva architects Hervé Dessimoz and Thomas Büchi as a model of sustainable building, the Globe, standing 27 metres (89 feet) tall and measuring 40 metres (130 feet) in diameter, is made up of five different types of timber: Scots pine, Douglas pine, spruce, larch, and Canadian maple. This enables it to act as a natural carbon sink.
The ground floor of the Globe is home to the "Universe of Particles" exhibition, which brings visitors face to face with the big questions of contemporary physics that are currently being explored at CERN via the LHC and other accelerators.
The first floor of the Globe hosts a variety of public events, such as conferences, panel discussions, film screenings and artistic performances.
Next to the Globe, "Wandering the Immeasurable", a sculpture by Canadian artist Gayle Hermick, symbolises how knowledge is passed between people. The outer layer shows scientific discoveries that reflect how information is spread and shared across the world, while the inner layer is covered with different equations and symbols that highlight the maths behind the science.
Donors to the CERN & Society Foundation can organise private events in the Globe of Science and Innovation. Welcome your guests in a unique and fascinating setting while supporting a humanist idea that promotes science and education.