MIT Libraries homeDome

View of sloped top floor "piazza" with seating; In 1923, the Labor Museum was founded by artist Herman Heijenbrock. In 1954, it changed its name to the Netherlands Institute for Industry and Technology (NINT). In 2000 the name was changed to Science Center NEMO; since 1997 it has been housed in the building by Renzo Piano. It contains five floors of hands-on science exhibitions and is the largest science center in the Netherlands. There are also cafeterias and play areas. NEMO is located on a small stretch of land in the port of Amsterdam, straddling the entrance to a road tunnel. Surrounded by water, the building has a ship-like form and pre-oxidized copper-clad facades, referencing the surrounding port. A pedestrian ramp leads up onto the building’s sloping roof (fifth floor) that serves as a public piazza for visitors and as a social focus for the neighborhood. Source: Renzo Piano Building Workshop [firm website]; http://www.rpbw.com/ (accessed 7/15/2014)