Located on a large urban renewal site devoted to culture and leisure, Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie was completed in 1986 with a mandate to educate visitors about science and technology.
Designed by the architect Adrien Fainsilber and based on five themes, water and earth, the universe, industry, communication, and man and health, the Cité has welcomed approximately 40 million visitors since it first opened its doors to the public on 13 March 1986, coinciding with the arrival of Halley’s Comet. Located in the Parc de la Villette, which was formerly a giant abattoir, covering an area of 55 hectares (136 acres), this highly-innovative complex is one of the biggest scientific and cultural centres in the world and is made up of several individual sites. |