idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Abstract
This talk explores how the early twentieth century physicists who specialized in radioactivity research materially embodied their visions of the new discipline through the architectural design and the urban locations of their institutions. Through comparative and contextual approaches of the architecture of two important radioactivity research centers situated in the European metropolises of the 1910s, I examine differences and similarities in their architectural design. The focus is on the Institute for Radium Research in Vienna (1910), the first specialized center for research on radioactivity, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Chemistry in Berlin (1912), which included a specialized section on radioactivity research from the time of its establishment. I argue that designing spaces for radioactivity research in the early twentieth century, physicists and architects were also designing the new discipline in a strong sense.
Institutes such as the above proved to be embodiments of the disciplinary, cultural, and scientific status of their researchers. The new aesthetics of the modern era as they were expressed in the architectural forms of those institutes, provided physicists and chemists who specialized in radioactivity research with a new disciplinary identity. Buildings gave tangibility to the new field by making the researchers visible and institutionalizing their practices. It further added to their prestige and offered them unique opportunities for research. At the same time, internal architectural arrangements played a crucial role in forging scientific collaborations and social interactions among scientists with a variety of expertise.
Information on participating / attending:
Date:
04/26/2012 16:15 - 04/26/2012
Event venue:
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Seminarraum
Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1
55128 Mainz
Rheinland-Pfalz
Germany
Target group:
Scientists and scholars, all interested persons
Email address:
Relevance:
transregional, national
Subject areas:
Chemistry, History / archaeology
Types of events:
Presentation / colloquium / lecture
Entry:
04/20/2012
Sender/author:
Dr. Wolfgang Huisl
Department:
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Event is free:
yes
Language of the text:
English
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event39494
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