A floating classroom, described by its designer as a “magical garden,” is set to open next year, floating between the Delaware River and the Schuylkill, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 5,400-square-foot classroom, featuring glass walls, will spend six months docked on the Delaware River near the Independence Seaport Museum, and the other half of the year stationed just below Fairmount Dam on the Schuylkill.
Floating Water Workshop: The Art of Science In Motion, which would cost around $7.5 million, will first open in the harbor at Penn’s Landing. The organizers envision the structure as a hub for science education, a cultural arts destination, event venue, and a center for environmental learning.
It would be moved by a tugboat to the Schuylkill, and stationed there most likely from midsummer to winter.
The Fairmount Water Works, owned by Philadelphia Water Department, is overseeing the installation of the project. The entrance would be free to Philadelphia youth.
“We want to make sure that once the workshop is established, it’s successful and has an opportunity to establish itself,” said Joanne Dahme, a trustee of the Fund for the Water Works.
Read more about the floating classroom being envisioned between the city’s two major rivers in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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