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Stargazing and Architecture
Hey there,
I'm here to ask fellow people for insights on my thesis topic, stargazing. The process started by searching the history of stargazing and how it became a tourism industry. Right now my project doesn't involve a building, it's a campsite with group and individual stargazing experiences. My advisor is somehow happy with the idea but also questioned that my project lacks architecture. I feel like at this point I'm forcing architecture into the design, it was all the initial idea to enhance the experience. I'm adding a few pauses and reflection spaces but it is still not enough I feel like. I've decided to add a temporary stay but I wonder how it justifies my topic of stargazing as it's not directly linked to it. any suggestions are welcomed. Thank you.
If your architectural thesis project isn’t suited for architecture… maybe change your topic.
Without context I have a hard time really understanding what you’re doing with your project, but it strikes me as odd that you can’t really figure out how to architecture (verb) that.
I would presume you could draw a very clear relationship between stargazing and astronomy and pull from all of history and the future for inspiration on design. Basically, all ancient civilizations had structures that were related to the stars. The last 500 years of astronomy has whole typologies of buildings related to the stars. And if we imagine the near and distant future, it would be quite easy to come up with something.
Design viewing platforms, planetariums, observatories, bubble buildings, skylights, cabins in the woods. Make a monument to the stars, cryptic monoliths with no clear meaning except one day of the year. Make it an urban planning project where you’ve invented a new zoning code that limits light pollution, building heights and pollution. Make a skyhook space elevator that brings you outside the atmosphere. Design something kinetic, futuristic, ancient, historic.
Really though, you don’t need to stray that far from what you’re doing in my mind… two options I mention above… inflatable structures and cabins, both allow you to do camp type projects that is interesting and architectural while also giving you an ability to emphasize stargazing from your bed… Seems like a soft turn fix to me.
Be creative.
My site context is a granite mountain in the desert. It's a tourism site, people often visit in monsoon season. I want to introduce dark sky tourism there because the grown tourism will soon start damaging the night view of sky. And for that I added trails and tracks to reach different parts on the mountains to experience stargazing. its more like an adventure tour. the last few crits I had when I wanted to add some view points which were an architecture intervention it was questioned by the juror. From the start of the project everyone advised me to not build but build. The situation is confusing. My studio teacher advised me to add a info room kind of thing at the start of the trail to have something on the plan which I personally didn't approved. its more like a commercial approach that I don't want to take for this project. I have thought about the cabin in the mountains as well as a view deck. But I know it'll also be questioned in my next class. I wonder if a huge plan and intervention is necessary for a thesis? Will the jury won't approve? What if I don't feel like building anything but jus tracks and trail, what if I just want view points? We learn how to architecture but we also taught about not to overdo it. Why we designers overdo everything which is not necessary just to leave a mark? There are too many questions in my mind right now.
Stargazing
Navel gazing
Tried to post two pictures from the phone, didn't work https://images.app.goo.gl/wMtkW5FL47rKwugi7
https://images.app.goo.gl/wK5xgMUQXZgfgZAo7
Not a fan, but James Turrell. I'm into Robert Irwin.
Michael Heizer's City in Nevada.
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