Inquirer 8/4/2008
The future continues to unfold in Bonifacio Global City where the first world-class science museum in the Philippines named The Mind Museum will soon rise. The Mind Museum incorporates the use of interlocking atoms as its logo to symbolize that the museum is indeed a vital building block for learning. The museum aims to contribute to the country's science education, inspiring students to specialize in science and technology It also aims to provide locators and visitors a civic and cultural place to complement the residential, commercial, institutional and retail establishments at Bonifacio Global City.
A project whose time has come. The Mind Museum is managed by Bonifacio Arts Foundation, Inc. (BAR), that is envisioned to be a showcase of "What we know, how we know it and what we do with what we know.' The galleries in the museum will feature science facts, the process of discovery and their applications in technology. It is to be a place where visitors can learn science principles in a fascinating and interactive way, where teachers can find new and exciting ways of teaching science, and where students can satisfy their curiosity about how the world works. The Mind Museum then is to be a venue where visitors v/ill be fascinated with science. Fascination results from learning something in an entertaining and engaging way.
Bringing world-class facilities into the museum, the faculty and designers of the College of Fine Arts of both UP and UST were also engaged to collaborate in the design of the science exhibits. Soon after, Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) and the Science Center Singapore were signed on as consultants. JRA is a leading design firm that specializes on science centers and theme parks. Both organizations provided designs and key insights that have been valuable to the BAFI team. It was to be a museum to be built from inside out.
At the helm of The Mind Museum is Managing Director Manny Bias who formerly held post as the Regional President of Sara Lee for Southeast Asia. He has also held top managerial ranks in Metro Pacific, Pepsi Cola, Citibank, Richardson Vicks and P&G. The museum's curator is no less than Maria Isabel Garcia, a science writer and author of "Ecologia Filipina, An Almanac (1996) and Science Solitaire (2006), a science book which won the National Book Award last year. Ms. Garcia is also a science columnist for the Philippine Star.
Experts from various fields were also invited to comprise the Exhibit Advisory Council of The Mind Museum. The council includes outstanding individuals in the academe, arts, and the corporate world such as: McCann World Group Asia Pacific Chair Emeritus Emily Abrera; national artist BenCab; Medical Director of St. Luke's Hospital and known patron of the arts Dr. Joven Cuanang; former Chair of the Physics Department of Ateneo De Manila Dr. Jerrold Garcia: former Chair of Psychology Department of the Ateneo cognitive psychologist Dr. Emy Liwag; Dean of the College of Science Department of University of the Philippines Dr. Cesar Saloma; and Executive Director of the National Institute of Math, Dr. Joey Balmaceda.
The Mind Museum building is planned to be environmentally friendly and reflect the principles of nature conservation, BAFI wants visitors to learn some practical applications of nature conservation as part of their experience; that the museum is doing its fair share in preserving the environment and that anyone can, too, based on what they see in the facilities and amenities of the building. The proposed building for The Mind Museum is already a science exhibit itself wherein it features a passive design for sustainability. The building will make use of a light colored exterior for solar heat reflectivity, sweeping curved roof for natural rainwater flow drainage, large glazed opening for natural wind ventilation and tilted facade for minimal solar reflection and heat gain are just few of the exciting teaser features of the institution that is to be The Mind Museum.
With the exhibition concepts and organization in shape, Architect Ed Calma of Lor Cama & Partners, Inc. joined the team of consultants and began working on the building that will be the home of the exhibition. Thereafter, Cobalt Design and Management Ltd., a firm based in Canada, was engaged to ensure energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of the entire facility.
Science is alive at The Mind Museum where it will be presented according to five main "stories." Each "story" that will be concritized in the galleries will be an experiential discovery of the world around us: The Story of the Universe, The Story of Life, The Story of Nature, The Story of the Atom and The Story of Technology. Each of these "stories' will correspond to a gallery or a sphere of experience. The conceptual model in mind is the buckey ball, where one sees a node-synapse-node pattern. Each of the 'story' then corresponds to a node or sphere/gallery, and each node is connected to the next node by a corridor, which will contain exhibits that will prime the visitors they transition from one sphere to the next.
Providing a first of its kind in the country, The Mind Museum also offers facilities and services that includes science-in-the-park galleries, to be located within the park around the museum structure; these covered "galleries" will feature science exhibits, or sculptures (similar to The Pipes in High Street), which children can use as a playground while learning scientific principles.
The retail shops and food outlets that will be built around The Mind Museum will also be thematically tied to the exhibits. There will be areas spacious enough to accommodate special events and activities such as product launches, children's parties, company meetings and other event which may be enriched by the science museum venue as it provides an environment which allows a fun and engaging way of learning. It is also the future hub for resources of better science teaching methods, and for networking among scientists here and abroad.
The Mind Museum is a project of the Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI) that has helped make Bonifacio Global City a home of passionate minds through the arts and now, through the sciences. The foundation is funded by contributions of property owners of the Bonifacio Global City (BGC). With prestigious companies such as Ajinomoto Phils. Corp., Ayala Land, Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Del Monte Phils. Inc., NutriAsia, Inc., Globe Telecom, IMI Group of Companies, Manila Water Company, Inc. and R.A. Mo-jica and Partners who have signed on as partners of The Mind Museum, BAFI extends its invitation to individuals, groups and companies who would like to be a part in building the first world-class science museum that will truly help science education in the country. Interested parties may call Manny Bias (Managing Director) or Minnie Santillan (Resource Development Manager) at 818-3601 or mablas@fbdcorp.com.
At Bonifacio Global City, urbanism is defined at its peak, it is a city that works, a city with a soul and a city with a sense of place. Bonifacio Global City is absolutely the home of passionate minds. Bonifacio Global City is developed by Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC) with Ayala Land, Inc., Evergreen Holdings, Inc. of the Campos Group and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).