The Montréal Planetarium, along with the Biodôme, Insectarium and Botanical Garden, make up the Space for Life. This natural science museum complex, Canada's largest, is a unique combined attraction that invites visitors to reconnect with nature and cultivate a new way of living.

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium will give visitors a chance to look back at life from a new perspective, millions of kilometres away, to help us prepare for our voyage into the future. Its innovative concept will complement its reinvented approach, helping to distinguish it from other planetariums around the world.

This approach will rely on immersive, participatory experiences as it takes visitors on a journey to the ends of the Universe. The goal is to create a positive experience of nature and to encourage them to open up and see the world in a different way.

Construction work on the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium began in June 2011. It is due to open in spring 2013.

Groupe Decarel will be handling the construction. The Planetarium will be built to the plans and specifications drawn up by the consortium led by Cardin Ramirez Julien, the Montréal firm that won the international architecture competition in 2009.

Public amenities

A vast lobby will welcome visitors to the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, with access to all services, including the ticket counter, cloakroom, gift shop and café.

There will also be a group lobby, to be shared with the Biodôme.

Workshop spaces

For over 40 years now, the Montréal Planetarium has been offering fascinating, accessible scientific content. It will now have three workshop spaces, with advanced equipment, to continue this mission. Groups will be able to learn about the tools used by astronomers to observe celestial bodies.

Two theatres, combining science and emotion!

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium will include two immersion theatres, hosting multimedia shows using the latest technology. They will each be housed in a circular structure resembling a telescope peering out at the Universe, and will offer unique experiences for visitors. One will appeal to their minds, and the other to their emotions.

The first show, designed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, will be presented in the first theatre when the Planetarium opens, in spring 2013. This poetic, immersive experience will take visitors on a voyage through space lasting about 20 minutes, transporting them from a world on a human scale to the infinitely large and then back to the infinitely small.

The second theatre will host a more scientific show, beneath the starry dome. This time visitors themselves will choose the destination of their journey! The show, with live commentary, will appeal to their minds and senses as they explore the constellations.

The permanent exhibition: Learning about the Universe

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium's permanent exhibition room will be the ideal place to discover the cosmos. Visitors will be able to admire the meteorite collection displayed in the geology laboratory.

This discovery space will have a “library” of interactive multimedia terminals, with spherical screens and spaceship-like walls. Their constantly updated content will make them the perfect tools for visitors looking to learn more about astronomy. They can also try out a space flight simulator and see how it feels to be a weightless astronaut in space!