Le Bioscope
Encyclopedia
Le Bioscope is a theme park located at Ungersheim
, in the Upper Rhine (the Haut-Rhin
département) of France
. The 12½-hectare(31 acre) park — described in a European Commission
2004 press release as a place where visitors learn about health, life and the environment "whilst having fun" — is laid out in concentric circles, a design by Frédéric Jung meant to evoke the shockwaves caused by the impact of the Ensisheim meteorite
, which struck nearby in 1492.
The Alsace
region first proposed the park in 1994. Bright White, a York
-based firm, was responsible for "development, engineering and project management of the design phase", with the idea of meeting the park's goal to educate people "to take responsibility for their own actions with respect to equilibrium with the environment."
, with government financing the purchase of the land and part of the construction, and a private company being granted a 30-year concession
to build and operate the park. In exchange, the concession holder pays a fee based on turnover.
In July 2001, the Alsace region and the General Council of the Haut-Rhin announced their decision to grant the concession to Grévin & Cie, the company that operates facilities such as Musée Grévin
, Parc Astérix
, and the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk
.
Ungersheim
Ungersheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace in eastern France. It forms part of the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération, the inter-communal local government body for the Mulhouse conurbation.It is known for:...
, in the Upper Rhine (the Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
département) of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The 12½-hectare(31 acre) park — described in a European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
2004 press release as a place where visitors learn about health, life and the environment "whilst having fun" — is laid out in concentric circles, a design by Frédéric Jung meant to evoke the shockwaves caused by the impact of the Ensisheim meteorite
Ensisheim
Ensisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.On 7 November 1492, a 250 pound meteorite fell there, and since then it has attracted many meteorite enthusiasts. It was described in detail by the contemporary poet Sebastian Brant.Ensisheim is also the birthplace...
, which struck nearby in 1492.
The Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
region first proposed the park in 1994. Bright White, a York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
-based firm, was responsible for "development, engineering and project management of the design phase", with the idea of meeting the park's goal to educate people "to take responsibility for their own actions with respect to equilibrium with the environment."
Operation
Bioscope was built and is operated as a public-private partnershipPublic-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
, with government financing the purchase of the land and part of the construction, and a private company being granted a 30-year concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
to build and operate the park. In exchange, the concession holder pays a fee based on turnover.
In July 2001, the Alsace region and the General Council of the Haut-Rhin announced their decision to grant the concession to Grévin & Cie, the company that operates facilities such as Musée Grévin
Musée Grévin
The Musée Grévin is a waxwork museum in Paris located on the Grands Boulevards in the IXe arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, at 10, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, France. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged....
, Parc Astérix
Parc Astérix
Parc Astérix is a theme amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix . Situated approximately north of Paris and from Disneyland Resort Paris, in Plailly in the département of Oise, it opened in 1989...
, and the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk
Harderwijk
' is a municipality and a small city in the eastern Netherlands.- The history of Harderwijk :Harderwijk received city rights from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the...
.