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Very rubin observatory, Credit: Rubin Obs/NSF/AURA

Grand opening plans for the Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute

The official launch of the new Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute will take place over three exciting days, from September 16 to 18, 2011.

The official launch of the new Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute will take place over three exciting days, from September 16 to 18, 2011. To celebrate the expansion, the Institute’s award-winning outreach team is planning a number of activities including:

  • Science in the Pub’ and ‘Science in the Club’ chats in Uptown Waterloo, where researchers will be on hand to discuss scientific questions in relaxed settings
  • An open house at the original 35 King Street North facility – the historic clock tower heritage building and first home of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
  • Tours and PI Public Lectures at the expanded 31 Caroline Street North research centre

The Grand Opening will take place in concert with Doors Open Waterloo Region activities occurring that same weekend and Celebrate Ontario, which is providing funding toward the three days of special events. “We are looking forward to sharing the new facility – and the research, training and outreach activities inside – with everyone from across the province and beyond,” said Michael Duschenes, Chief Operating Officer of Perimeter Institute. “And we are very thankful for the support of Celebrate Ontario, which will allow us to showcase the Grand Opening events and Waterloo Region in a very high impact manner.”

A full event schedule with complete details will be published in the months ahead. Free, online ticketing services will also be provided to ensure timed entry to the facilities.

Stephen Hawking at the Stephen-Hawking-Center building site, with a hard hat
During his first visit to PI in the summer of 2010, Prof. Stephen Hawking toured the renovation site for the expansion that will bear his name

About the New Centre In July 2009, to accommodate the growth of PI’s scientific community, Perimeter Institute embarked on a 55,000 square foot addition to the existing research facility. The award-winning firm of Teeple Architects has designed the expansion such that it will double PI’s current research space, yet still retain the productive interdisciplinary environment of the original facility. When complete, the building will accommodate up to 250 physicists and research trainees, making PI the largest theoretical physics research centre of its kind in the world.  

Building rendering of The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute.
Building rendering of The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute.

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

For more information, contact:
Mike Brown
Manager, Communications & Media
519-569-7600 x5131