Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction inRotherham,South Yorkshire, England.
The site used to be home to theSteel, Peech and Tozer steelworks (also known as Steelos). In 50 AD it was the site of the Templeborough Romanfort.[1]
The principal exhibits are divided into four pavilions: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. There is also an outdoor Sci-Tek play area, and Aqua-Tek water play area.
The 1/3 mile long site is often used for staging events, conferences and performances. It won the Enjoy England Gold Award for Business Tourism in 2006.[2]
The development, funding and building process was led by Stephen Feber, who selected the design team, led by architectsWilkinsonEyre and exhibition designersEvent Communications. Tim Caulton directed exhibition development. Magna's exhibitions won the Best Exhibition category at the 2002Design Week Awards.[3] The Centre won the 2001RIBA Stirling Prize[4] for its architectsWilkinson Eyre Architects,Mott MacDonald andBuro Happold's use of space in the old steelworks.
Every hour, Magna holds a display called "The Big Melt". Its purpose is to demonstrate how steel was made in anelectric arc furnace until the steelworks closed in 1993. A furnace is imitated with fog, spark, flame and smoke machines, loudspeakers, lights, and blasts of rapidly burning propane which are ignited at appropriate points in the show. The show can be repeated up to four times an hour, but, in practice, it is usually run once an hour or twice an hour if visitor numbers are very high.
Since 2011, the centre has been home to the annualRotherham Real Ale and Music Festival. The festival was previously held atOakwood Technology College. Money raised from the festival is donated to local charities. In 2025 CAMRA'sGreat British Beer Festival Winter will be held here.
53°25′10″N1°23′18″W / 53.419501°N 1.388354°W /53.419501; -1.388354
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