THE MONTRÉAL INSECTARIUM WELCOMES ITS FIRST VISITORS: AN UNPRECEDENTED VISITOR EXPERIENCE!

MONTRÉAL, April 13, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – Today, the remarkable metamorphosis of the new Montréal Insectarium is being revealed to the general public as the new museum opens its doors!  The Insectarium offers visitors the chance to literally see the world through the perspective of insects by diving into their fascinating universe and, in the process, change the way they look at these living beings. A completely redesigned experience awaits all those, young and old, who step into the new museum starting today.

The Insectarium invites future visitors to enjoy extraordinary encounters with insects. They are invited to pay insects a visit through an intimate tour that will slowly lead them to better appreciate and value them.

As you enter the Alcoves —inspired by the habitat of insects—, you see the world as if you were an insect yourself. All your senses are on the alert: vibrations in the floor allow you to perceive sounds like insects; projected ultraviolet effects mimic an insect’s vision, while the configuration of the space encourages you to move around like an insect, either by slipping through cracks or dangling on vertical rods. After this first eye-opening experience, it’s time for a tête-à-tête with insects in an intimate atmosphere, where they can be observed, even contemplated, at leisure in immersive vivariums. Then, after beholding the collection of naturalized insects presented like nowhere else inside the majestic Dome, a setting that praises their beauty and diversity, you emerge from this underground environment in a space that looks like a giant greenhouse bathed in natural light, the Great Vivarium. This is where you will get to see and interact with over 100 species of insects roaming about—including free-flying butterflies all year round. Among the species of butterflies on display, some have never been presented to the public before!

The new Montréal Insectarium is a unique project where museology and visitor experience informed the architecture, and not the other way around. To rethink the museum, the architects drew inspiration from the various insect habitats—nests, chambers, galleries, vegetation and soil. To ensure every decision was grounded in the reality of the insects, it was not unusual for someone to place an insect on a conference room table in order to verify their anticipated behavior! The design of the new building also applies the principles of biophilia to ensure a harmonious integration with the immediate environment of the Jardin botanique, and to minimize its visual impact for the good of nature.

The new Insectarium is aiming for LEED Gold certification, and its Great Vivarium is the first curtain-wall greenhouse to receive this recognition in Quebec.

As a complement to the visit, the Espace pour la vie mobile application (Insectarium module) provides a wealth of information on the naturalized and living species on display at the museum. The application is very easy to use and literally follows visitors as they make their way along, providing quick access to more information. Tablets will be available in the various rooms of the museum for those who do not have smart devices and who would like to use the app.

The new Montréal Insectarium will offer a renewed visitor experience and will now be priced the same as all other Espace pour la vie museums.  The new Espace pour la vie Passport is a great way to get unlimited access to all five Espace pour la vie museums all year round.  Full details here.

 

SOURCE Espace pour la vie