an alien-looking observatory in the middle of the desert
Life is what happens while Saudi Arabia builds mega constructions. Or plans them, rathersince in that particular competition against the United Arab Emiratesright now there is more on the plane of ideas than on the sand of the desert. With the disaster of The Line still kickingthe country has another mega construction in mind: an observatory called AlUla Manara that seeks to become a unique tourist destination while serving as a beastly tool for astronomers. Its location is privileged, but what stands out most at first is, obviously, that design that seems more like an AI hallucination than a real building. AlUla Manara. When we talk about mega constructions in Saudi Arabia, we immediately think of Neom. The pharaonic project was not only going to house The Line, but another series of ambitious facilities, but there are other areas and projects in which the country has been injecting money for years. AlUla is a region of contrasts in which they mix World Heritage wonders with buildings that they seem from another planet. In that bag we have to put AlUla Manaraan astronomical complex that will become one of the largest optical observatories in the world. This is a project of the Royal Commission for AlUla to reinforce the role of Saudi Arabia in the international scientific community, but also seeking to position it as a new tourist pillar in the area. Peculiar design (with meaning). The images (conceptual, of course) reveal a building that is totally contrary to what we usually identify as an observatory. Instead of a huge dome that rotates and allows the telescope to be oriented, the observatory will have several more or less fixed telescopes. The main will count with four meters in diameter and will be accompanied by two others of two meters in diameter. It will not only have optical observation systems, but advanced systems such as LaserSETI that will allow monitoring the sky for flares, several observation platforms, tracking technologies and equipment for astrophotography. Integration. But, as we say, beyond the equipment, what stands out is a design signed by Heatherwick Studio, responsible for projects such as Little Island in New York or Azabudai Hills in Tokyo. The inspiration for the observatory is the spiral shapes of galaxies, as well as patterns present in fossils, although you have to use your imagination. Like the Maraya Concert Hall auditorium, full of mirrors in the middle of the desert to blend in with it, the observatory will seek not to break with the aesthetics of the region. This “flower”-shaped structure will be covered with local stone to integrate into that environment. Privileged. The AlUla Manara will be built on a plateau about 70 kilometers north of the city of AlUla and, like themselves they boastthe location is spectacular. This plateau is located in an area that is within what is known as a ‘Dark Sky Park’, a certification that makes it clear that the skies are exceptionally dark because light pollution is minimal. In fact, it is one of the best places on the planet to observe both the Milky Way and a few million other stars, which is why it will seek to exploit both the observatory’s capacity in scientific matters and monetization thanks to tourism. The visitor area will count with exhibitions, workshops and experiences designed to harness the potential of the facility and the area. But, in addition to the areas focused on tourism, there will be spaces where visitors can see scientists during their work day. Stuart Wood is the director of Heatherwick Studio and pointed out who saw an opportunity to dissolve the barriers that usually exist in this type of facilities. Let’s see what happens. All this sounds very nice and with the failure of The Line it is already difficult to believe certain things that come from Saudi Arabia, but AlUla Manara is a much more limited project that will be located in a region that already has real tourist interest and where it has been shown that this type of buildings have an outlet. Furthermore, it is a conjunction between science and tourism that is interesting and that, precisely, can make the project more viable. Now, there is still time to see that flower of the AlUla desert. The project was launched in 2023, but it was now that it was approved the final design of the complex, the scientific configuration and everything that Heatherwick Studio has in mind. It doesn’t look bad, but yes, there are still no dates on the table. In Xataka | China has no rival in megaconstructions: it even has the tallest abandoned skyscraper in the world
