Astronomical Museum & Observatory

The Project was given as a studio design problem in my architecture graduation course. The brief set out asked us to present a proposal for the mountainous city of Ladakh which is otherwise known for its natural beauty and a destination of nature lovers, to be converted into a natural location for science lovers. Owing to its clear sky Ladakh already has some observatories, but the tourism related to scientific observations has been minimal in the past. The objective was to create a center for lovers of Astronomical Tourism to learn the hidden treasures of nature and observe the sky. The Astronomical Museum & Observatory was intended be a focal point for tourism interested in astronomical observation, where visitors will be able to enhance their knowledge and share experiences in an area free of light contamination, offering a unique setting to observe the stars. Light contamination is caused by the diffusion of artificial light that glows in the night sky, reducing visibility of the stars and other celestial bodies, and Ladakh (India) being a mountainous city was away from all these issues, making it a perfect location for this type of project. The project was located on an enormous land. The main idea behind the design approach of the project was to not only create an aesthetically appealing structure, but also, something that binds the science of Architecture & Astronomy, and hence, ‘Infinity’ was taken as a concept for the museum observatory. Since the Universe is Infinite and there is no end to it, the knowledge and study of Universe is also Infinite. Hence, the movement around the galleries was designed in such a way that it creates an infinite loop of knowledge, and create a lasting impact on the visitors.