Planetariums are designed for discovery and exploration. Created around immersive experiences, these projects draw our imaginations to new worlds. As theaters for education and entertainment, they also bring people together. Today, architects and designers are reimagining what the modem planetarium can be, and in turn, are inspiring new investigations into the universe and the vast ocean above us.
Usually involving a domed structure in which images of stars, planets, and constellations are projected on the inner surface, a planetarium can combine diverse programs. Occupying a larger area to accommodate the main theater component, these projects are often landmarks and part of a larger building project. While some modern designs favor dramatic, expressive forms and monumental spaces, others frame architecture as the backdrop for science galleries and exhibitions. The following projects showcase planetarium design from around the world, each exploring what it means to look outside ourselves.
Rose Center for Earth and Space / Polshek Partnership (Ennead Architects)
The iconic sphere within a glass cube of the Rose Center for Earth and Space redefines this landmark cultural institution for the twenty-first century. The technical virtuosity and extreme clarity of the curtainwall, the soaring interior space and the articulated spatial experience inspire an appreciation of the wonders of our universe and the power of scientific inquiry. The building is designed as a visible expression of the science it contains. Transparency of the curtain wall demystifies and illuminates the cube’s contents, both enhancing the presence of the sphere and revealing its gravitational force to serve the institution’s goal to de-brick science.
Gemma Observatory / Anmahian Winton Architects
While not a planetarium in the traditional sense, this private astronomical observatory is located on a remote mountain summit in central New Hampshire. The site is characterized by granite outcroppings and is situated at the center of a three-mile radius “dark” landscape with very little light pollution to obstruct astronomical viewing. Gemma’s design rejects a traditional dome in favor of a synthesized architectural form that maximizes usable space and responds to the stark geographic context.
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science / Grimshaw Architects
The 250,000 square foot Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (Frost Science) in Miami, FL brings together an aquarium, planetarium and science museum onto one campus in downtown Miami’s Museum Park. Taking advantage of the city’s plentiful sunshine, ocean breezes from nearby Biscayne Bay and views to a growing downtown skyline, the architecture of the museum furthers Miami-Dade County’s cultural offerings in a contemporary building.
Astronomical Park / Specific Architects + Unit Architects
Astronomical Park is an important part in the astronomical cultural construction of Zhenze High School. The Architects put forward the idea of constructing astronomical projects in the form of parks, combination of the astronomical theme with the campus environment, and having them become links between the original relatively independent functional areas. Astronomical stadiums and sites are transformed into circular elements, and anchor each other with the slopes.
Shanghai Astronomy Museum / Ennead Architects
Designed by Ennead, the monumental new museum creates an immersive experience that places visitors in direct engagement with real astronomical phenomena. Through scale, form, and the manipulation of light, the building heightens awareness of our fundamental relationship to the sun and the earth’s orbital motion. At 420,000 square feet, the new astronomical branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum will be the largest museum worldwide solely dedicated to the study of astronomy.
