Sellafield Visitors' Centre

As the old visitors' centre was perceived as being pure propaganda for the nuclear industry, BNFL decided to update the centre to be science based and interactive. It is divided into 10 sections.

The Earth House

Using a multi-language, multi-channel sound system, the first section, The Earth House, introduces the visitor to the idea that all forms of power have a good side and a bad side.

The World of BNFL shows the work at and development of Sellafield and includes a Pepper's Ghost model that tells the history of the site, including mentioning the leak that happened in the 1950s and the anti-nuclear demonstrations by Greenpeace.

Atomic History Theatre

Einstein Chair Quiz - WRONG

The Elementary houses the 'Atomic History Theatre', an animated cut-out theatre that tells the history of the discovery of the nuclear processes and the scientists involved, in music hall style. There is also an interactive quiz called 'Einstein's Chair' where the visitors can test their knowledge of nuclear physics.

Interatom is an educational area devoted to hands-on interactive experiments which leads on to The Reactor Show, a multi media programme presented by the Mighty Atom, which uses computer animation to explain nuclear fission and how it can be harnessed to produce power. It has ten video projectors, a 1000W, four channel sound system and a theatrical light show, as well as many other special effects.

The Reactor Show

The Fuel Line shows where Uranium is mined and how it is converted into nuclear fuel.

The Recyclorama is a series of animatronic sets that describe in simple terms how spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed.

The Processor contains seven video workstations where the visitor can choose from any of nine programmes that explain in greater detail various aspects of nuclear safety and reprocessing.

The Processor

Atomopolis shows a family of the future seated around a wall sized video screen discussing the eldest daughters homework - how power used to be created in the 1990s.

The final area is the Observatory where the visitor can look out over the Sellafield site.

Roy Reed produced all of the audio visual and interactive programmes and soundtracks and was responsible for much of the technical design of the AV installation which he also project managed. He was a member of the project design team.