Montréal Space for Life Receives the Award of Outstanding Achievement from the Canadian Museums Association, for the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium

MONTRÉAL, April 10, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - At its award ceremony last night, held at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto, the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) presented Montréal Space for Life, a group of Montréal museums, with its prestigious Award of Outstanding Achievement for the creation of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.

The new star in the Space for Life, which is currently celebrating its first anniversary, was a winner in the Facility Development and Design category. This valuable recognition salutes not only the institution's functionality, but also its vision, innovation, accessibility and respect for the environment. Every year, at its National Conference, the CMA presents awards saluting and encouraging excellence at Canadian museums.

"This major mark of recognition from the CMA for the City of Montréal and Space for Life comes on top of the many prestigious distinctions awarded to the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in the past year. Although its bold approach and originality and the quality of its facilities have been acclaimed over and over, this recognition by its peers in the Canadian museum community reaffirms the relevance and excellence of the Planetarium's innovative architectural signature," emphasized Manon Gauthier, Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for culture, heritage, design, Space for Life and the status of women.

For Space for Life Executive Director Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, this honour confirms the excellence of the City of Montréal's museums. "We are very proud to accept this award. Every day, our teams work toward a single goal: bringing visitors closer to nature, and encouraging them to take a new look at our place in the Universe, in the heart of our city and our environment. This distinction from our peers represents recognition of our very mission."

Making Space for Life a key destination
With its unique approach, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium invites visitors to embark on a dizzying experience. Over the past year, this delightful cosmic encounter combining science, art and emotion has whisked more than 350,000 visitors of all ages off on a memorable trip to the stars.

The opening of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium also marked the birth of Space for Life as a key destination, now forming Canada's largest natural science complex. It is an important step forward for an organization dedicated to reconnecting people with nature.

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is a star!
Aside from the CMA's Award of Outstanding Achievement, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium has received a wide variety of other tributes to different aspects of the new institution since it opened on April 6 last year.

It was honoured with the regional Grand prix du tourisme québécois award and the 2013 Prix d'excellence from the Société des musées québécois and is currently a finalist in the East-end Montréal Chamber of Commerce ESTim awards competition. PMI-Montréal's project management professionals hailed the project's quality, and the building has received several awards and honourable mentions recognizing its design, innovation and sustainable development. The architectural concept, by the CARDIN RAMIREZ JULIEN + Ædifica consortium, was a winner in the 2013 Contech Innovation and Sustainable Development Awards and in the 2014 Grands prix du design awards in the Public and institutional buildings and Use of wood for interior design categories.

About Space for Life
Montréal Space for Life is made up of four attractions on the same site: the Botanical Garden, Biodôme, Insectarium and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. These four prestigious institutions form Canada's largest natural science complex. Together, they are launching a daring, creative urban movement, urging everyone to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and cultivate a new way of living.

For further information and to purchase tickets online, see our website montrealspaceforlife.ca.

SOURCE: Espace pour la vie

Karine Jalbert, Communications Co-ordinator, 514 872-1453, [email protected]; Nadine Fortin, Communications Co-ordinator, 514 868-3053, [email protected]