We take a look inside We The Curious as the science centre gears up for reopening after blaze

An ‘extremely rare’ fire ‘with a 0.01% chance of happening’ has forced the attraction to remain closed since April 2022
By Carrington Walker, Mark Taylor
Published 23rd Feb 2023, 10:21 BST
Updated 23rd Feb 2023, 13:03 BST
We The Curious has confirmed its planned reopening timeline after a freak fire forced the museum to close for more than a year.We The Curious has confirmed its planned reopening timeline after a freak fire forced the museum to close for more than a year.
We The Curious has confirmed its planned reopening timeline after a freak fire forced the museum to close for more than a year.

Bristol science centre We The Curious will reopen in January 2024, undergoing a multi-million pounds repair after a rooftop fire, last year. BristolWorld has been inside the Grade II listed building to examine the ambitious repair work which has gutted the popular attraction.

On April 9, 2022, a solar panel on the roof was damaged by birds in an ‘extremely rare occurrence with a 0.01% chance of happening’, according to We The Curious. A fault in the electrical system was triggered which resulted in a fire requiring thousands of litres of water to dowse - all staff and visitors were evacuated from the building with no injuries reported.

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The extensive use of hose water caused further water damage to the listed building forcing it to remain closed almost a year on. Extensive repair work has been carried out since and bosses are confident We The Curious will be fit to reopen early next year.

Inside the structure, the second floor had been completely gutted and stripped back to concrete and steel due to the water damage, four new air source heat pumps have been installed by a 90-tonne crane through the building’s roof to improve the heating system. A 1,500sq metre, watertight roof has also been installed, soon to be decked with solar panels. Electrical engineers will have also spent more than 1,000 days carrying out electrical works on the place before its reopening.

All exhibits, including the £6million ‘Project What If’ which had opened shortly before the fire erupted, have been placed under protective covers while the work is carried out.

Donna Speed (right) confirmed We The Curious would not be ready in time for the coming summer.Donna Speed (right) confirmed We The Curious would not be ready in time for the coming summer.
Donna Speed (right) confirmed We The Curious would not be ready in time for the coming summer.

We The Curious CEO, Donna Speed said: “Everyone has been working all out to reopen We The Curious for the coming summer. Unfortunately, now know this isn’t going to be possible with a repair project of this scope and complexity.

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“It is disappointing but also a great reminder that We The Curious is more than just a wonderful venue; it’s the people, the joy of connecting and exploring ideas together. So we’re going to be carrying on delivering our Out and About activities, Stories from the Stars, and School Takeover days, and the team are working on more brilliant activities for the coming year.”

Here are some pictures showing how the building currently looks on the inside:

Related topics:BristolFireMuseumGrade II

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