A spaceship-like observatory is set to land atop a Cyprus mountain. Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects got the green light for a space science center that will give NASA greater research coverage over the Middle East. Located in the Troodos Mountains, this Sci Fi-inspired building commands an impressive and distinctive silhouette to “inspire and excite anyone who sees it from afar or from up close.”
Named Star Observatory, the spaceship-like building will be the first purpose-built observatory in Cyprus. Renderings show the structure perched atop a tree-covered mountain 1,200 meters above sea level in Troodos Geopark, a 115-hectare UNESCO-listed park in central Cyprus. The observatory will give NASA researchers the opportunity to track celestial phenomena in the Middle East, a region where there is insufficient data.
“Elena and I drew inspiration from sci-fi when drawing up plans for this observatory – I was a Star Wars fan growing up,” said architects Nicodemos K Tsolakis and Elena K Tsolakis of his and his wife’s design process to Dezeen. “Of course the client didn’t know this when they hired us. They were pretty surprised with where we took it but they love the ideas.”
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The spaceship-like research center features a wedge shape with a dome on one end and a cantilevered terrace on the other. The Star Observatory will include two telescopes for daytime and nighttime viewing and visitors will also be allowed bring their own telescopes. The robust observatory will be able to withstand the region’s extreme temperatures, from blistering hot summers to below freezing temperatures in winter.
+ Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects
Via Dezeen
Images via Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects , by MIR
