There is something archaic about the observation of the stars. A purity, a form of asceticism. An intense and solemn connection.

The project is both an environment-friendly and a strong plastic proposal. It emphasizes landscape. It is a place for contemplation, the night and the day.

The telescope housings, two Corten steel hulls, are reduced to a minimum to meet the functional requirements. The site is sculpted to receive them.

A Corten steel cliff retains the observation platform and creates a protected area below the telescopes. The two telescope housings are built in order to optimize the visibilities.

The Corten steel wall is used as an informations support : engraving or/and relief (constellations, legends, scientific informations for the observation of the stars,…). The site is slightly marked to make access easier. The marking underlignes the cliff drawing.

 To complete the power requirements, two lines are drawn on the top of the site : solar cells and water condensers. The water condensers look like a net to catch water from dew, fog, clouds, surrounding humidity… The surfaces for solar cells and water condensers will be sized according to the real requirements and the definive equipment.

Main materials used are steel and gravel.

Kielder observatory is an intervention in the landscape.

It is a scientific system and a place for promenade open to all.

International ideas competition - 2005