Designing for Darkness | Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio unveils its design for a new kind of observatory that functions as two distinct buildings within a single architectural expression—one by day and another by night. Planned for the remote deserts of north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla Manara anchors a new astrotourism destination within one of the region's first designated Dark Sky Parks. Selected through an international design competition, the project is conceived as an astrotourism visitor centre and research destination that challenges the traditional idea of an observatory, bringing together scientific research, public engagement and environmental stewardship while deepening our relationship with the night sky. Darkness shapes every […]