AlUla, a remote desert destination in northwestern Saudi Arabia, unveiled otherworldly renderings of its AlUla Manara astronomy visitor center.
Dedicated to astronomy, astrotourism, and scientific research, the AlUla Manara project is part and parcel to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s culture and tourism initiative and is located in the world’s third-largest Dark Sky Park, which offers unparalleled views of the celestial skies.
“Space observatories are often remote, sterile places, technical outposts that feel distant from the public,” said Stuart Wood, executive partner and group leader of Heatherwick Studio, the highly regarded design firm responsible for the AlUla Manara project.
A rendering of AlUla Manara (Photo Credit: Saudi Tourism Authority)
“We saw an opportunity to dissolve those barriers and create a place where visitors can step inside the wonder of the cosmos: an environment that is both immersive and inspiring, standing alongside the most advanced science of our time.”
The company’s design, Wood added, “draws from the dramatic spiraling geometries that shape both the solar system above us and the natural world around us” and features three “interlocking telescope-like formations reach skywards while remaining rooted in the desert landscape, embodying a dialogue between earth and universe.”
AlUla itself is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its sandstone mountains, palm oases and archeological ruins spanning more than 8,600 square miles.
A rendering of the center's interior (Photo Credit: Saudi Tourism Authority)
“For millennia, AlUla’s night skies have guided communities and traders, inspired stories and shaped histories within and beyond the region,” said Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer for the Royal AlUla Commission.
“With AlUla Manara, visitors will be able to connect with this extraordinary legacy while experiencing the future of astronomical discovery,” he added. “By combining world-class architecture, scientific research and immersive visitor experiences, we are creating a destination unlike anywhere else in the world.”
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