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Good time for HYBRIDS and “Ornitorrincos”…

"Hybrid centres" are already among us, everywhere. This new kind of venues for public engagement are not tied to a traditional formula and often embody the convergence of a science centre with a classic museum.

"The Ornitorrinco museum", as highlighted some years ago in a ICOM article written by Ernesto Páramo (2009), is a “living creature” with many different features resulting from evolution like this strange and successful animal, the Ornithorhynchus anatinus or Platypus. It is a hybrid centre that combines museum and science centre characteristics with other functions like for example a botanical garden, a cultural and scientific forum, a planetarium, a formal learning house, a tourist attraction, a business incubator or a media broadcast facility. This is already happening in many of our institutions as a logical evolution resulting from demands and opportunities of the community.
Convergence is a real option under evolutionary pressure. This session will allow us to discuss different experiences and emergent opportunities.