CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation

CERN 과학·혁신의 글로브

The Globe of Science and Innovation is the wooden visitor centre of CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics, in Meyrin near Geneva, Switzerland. The big sphere is 27 metres high and 40 metres across, about the size of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and it is a symbol of planet Earth.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Switzerland
Location: Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland
Built: 2004
Height: 27 m
Type: Museum

Quick answers

Where is CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation?

CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation is in Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland.

When was CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation built?

CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation was built in 2004.

How tall is CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation?

CERN – Globe of Science and Innovation is about 27 m tall.

The wooden landmark of CERN, the world’s largest particle-physics lab; 100 m below lies the 27 km ring of the Large Hadron Collider.

It was not built here first. It began life as the Palais de l'Equilibre at the national exhibition Expo.02 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and was moved to CERN in 2004, in time for CERN's 50th anniversary. Deep underground nearby is the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest particle accelerator, in a ring about 27 kilometres around. The Globe helps visitors understand what scientists there are looking for.

How is it built?

The Globe is made of two spheres, one nested inside the other, using five kinds of wood: Scotch pine, Douglas pine, spruce, larch and Canadian maple. The outer shell is made of wooden slats, and two ramps between the spheres let visitors look out. The inner sphere is built from 18 wooden arches covered in wooden panels. Because it is made of wood, the building acts as a natural carbon sink.

What happens inside?

After Expo.02 the Swiss Confederation gave the building to CERN, which renamed it the Globe of Science and Innovation. In 2010 it was renovated and a permanent exhibition, Universe of Particles, opened. The Globe also hosts events for CERN and the public. The World Wide Web was invented at CERN in 1989. The Globe is a symbol of planet Earth and an example of sustainable building.