Recently, we announced our prestigious project, the Hybrid Planetarium, Visakhapatnam, created in conjunction with the VMRDA, Government of Andhra Pradhesh. Creating a concept that would impact a city’s face forever has been exhilirating – yet, before we get into the details of how exactly it will come to life, we wanted to decode the Why, What, and Where behind the concept!
Concept
In 2019, NASA released the first-ever visualization of the Black Hole. An awe-inspiring phenomenon, the Black Hole has captured interest over the years due to its abstract nature and absolute power. They are points in space that are so dense that even gravity sinks – not even light can escape from its pull. Hence, as it is with any mysterious concept, they’ve been fascinating us since the 18th century. The term “Black Hole” was coined by physicist John Wheeler in 1969 and has been the basis of pop culture over the years. Often considered to be a point of no return, or a lyrical stand-in for mysterious forces, the concept of the Black Hole has been associated with discovery, travel, and switch in perspective.
Why the Black Hole for the Planetarium?
The fascinating and captivating visual of a Black Hole fit perfectly well with our ideologies of a futuristic Planetarium. Moreover, it allowed us to push the boundaries of Parametricism. This concept allowed us to introduce Biomimetic
Architecture, a multi-disciplinary scientific approach to sustainable design that goes beyond using nature as inspiration for aesthetics but rather applying design principles that are found in natural environments and species. No wonder we were enthralled from the get-go!
Bringing the Planetarium to Life
While Steel forms the core of this design, its details have been defined by the fact that the location falls under a Cyclone-prone zone. The design was moulded after studying advanced wind and daylight analysis to create the best possible design solution which responds well to a sensitive environment. Openings have been strategically placed on the outer ring of the structure at a good height such that these become conduits for air movement and reduce stresses on the structure, also mimicking the “Ring of Black Hole”. This geometry also consists of a Planetarium Dome in the centre which not just depicts the Black hole visually, but also optimizes the geometry since geodesic dome roofs or buildings have low drag coefficients and can withstand higher wind forces than a square building of the same area.
Right now, the project is under Tender status – we would love to explain this further once it’s complete!
