{"id":9552,"date":"2026-06-19T09:31:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/?p=9552"},"modified":"2026-06-19T15:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T15:09:03","slug":"heatherwick-studio-unveils-space-observatory-in-alula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/heatherwick-studio-unveils-space-observatory-in-alula\/","title":{"rendered":"Heatherwick Studio unveils &#8220;space observatory&#8221; in AlUla"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"852\" height=\"852\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-homepage_article_featured size-homepage_article_featured lazyload\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heatherwick-space-observatory-saudi-arabia_dezeen_2364_sq_0-852x852-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>UK practice\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/thomas-heatherwick\/\">Heatherwick Studio<\/a> has unveiled designs for AlUla Manara, a textured-stone, stargazing visitor and research centre in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<span id=\"more-2339298\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Set to be built in the Saudi Arabian desert near the AlUla UNESCO World Heritage Site, the building will be built to take advantage of the visibility of stars in the region.<\/p>\n<p>It is planned as both a visitor centre for people coming to the region to see the stars and as a base for scientists researching space.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2339757\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2339757\" style=\"width: 2001px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2339757 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"2001\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heatherwick-space-observatory-saudi-arabia_dezeen_2364_col_0-1-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2339757\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heatherwick Studio is designing the AlUla Manara space observatory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;The AlUla Manara visitor centre will place experiential learning at the heart of world-class science, igniting curiosity and inspiring generations of stargazers and scientists to come,&#8221; said Heatherwick Studio executive partner Stuart Wood.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Space observatories are often remote, sterile places \u2013 technical outposts that feel distant from the public,&#8221; he continued.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2339304\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2339304\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2339304 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Space observatory in Saudi Arabia\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1575\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heatherwick-studio-astrotourism-visitor-centre-alula-manara_dezeen_2364_col_3.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2339304\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It is set to be built in AlUla, Saudi Arabia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Constructed from textured stone, the visitor centre will occupy a stack of tubular forms that terminate in glazed opening to give views of the stars and surrounding desert landscape.<\/p>\n<p>According to the studio, the form and materiality were informed by the surrounding sandstone mountains and wider universe.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related-in-article-wrapper\" id=\"recommended-item-single-story\">\n<article class=\"related-in-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2023\/03\/21\/heatherwick-saudi-arabian-desalination-plant-jeddah-central-museum\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- Can this image be in the exclude lightbox list? --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"191\" height=\"191\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"excludeLightbox wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"View of Jeddah Central Museum by Heatherwick\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/jeddah-central-museum-by-heatherwick-saudi-arabia_dezeen_2364_col_sq2-191x191-1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-in-article-text\">\n<h1>Read:<\/h1>\n<h2>Heatherwick set to turn Saudi Arabian desalination plant into museum<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;Our design draws from the dramatic spiralling geometries that shape both the solar system above us and the natural world around us,&#8221; Wood said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Three interlocking telescope-like formations reach skywards while remaining rooted in the desert landscape \u2013 embodying a dialogue between earth and universe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2339306\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2339306\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2339306 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Space observatory in Alula by Heatherwick Studio\" width=\"2364\" height=\"879\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heatherwick-studio-astrotourism-visitor-centre-alula-manara_dezeen_2364_col_5.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2339306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It will be used as a visitor centre and for scientific research<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Along with the visitor centre and space for scientists, the building will contain a planetarium, restaurant and rooftop observation deck.<\/p>\n<p>It forms part of a wider masterplan for the site, which will see the construction of several &#8220;world-class telescopes&#8221; and have on-site accommodation, a stargazing lodge and &#8220;remote pods&#8221; for visitors to observe the night sky.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2339305\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2339305\" style=\"width: 1671px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2339305 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Stargazing in Saudi Arabia\" width=\"1671\" height=\"2364\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heatherwick-studio-astrotourism-visitor-centre-alula-manara_dezeen_2364_col_4-scaled-1.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2339305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Several of the tube-like forms face upwards for observing the stars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Founded by designer Thomas Heatherwick, Heatherwick Studio has designed numerous cultural buildings across the world. Also in Saudi Arabia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2023\/03\/21\/heatherwick-saudi-arabian-desalination-plant-jeddah-central-museum\/\">it is converting a former desalination plant by the Red Sea into a museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The visualisations are courtesy of Heatherwick Studio.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2026\/06\/19\/alula-manara-space-observatory-heatherwick-studio-saudi-arabia\/\">Heatherwick Studio unveils &#8220;space observatory&#8221; in AlUla<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\">Dezeen<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UK practice\u00a0Heatherwick Studio has unveiled designs for AlUla Manara, a textured-stone, stargazing visitor and research [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9552"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9561,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9552\/revisions\/9561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}