The first architectural photographs of the new National Observatory of Cyprus were published by the team of Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects.

The landmark building, constructed in Agridia, includes two high-tech telescopes. A night telescope, a Planewave CDK20 at Paramount ME II, and a Hydrogen-α solar telescope from Lunt Solar Systems U.S.A. The building has a large astromarina for star lovers to use mobile telescopes. The building is equipped with a 5.6-meter-wide dome and a hydraulic rolling roof of 4×4 meters, both constructed in Italy.

Designed to blend in perfectly with nature, the outer shell of the building reflects the sky, aiming to bring the building's purpose into focus. That is, a building that looks outward, the stars, the planets, the universe. To this end, the architects wanted the building "to almost disappear, thus emphasizing the act of viewing." On the contrary, internally the architects chose natural materials such as wood, stone, granite.

As a project sponsored by Cypriot and European funds, it was important for the team to create a big positive impact for the region. The architects sought to create an attraction for the area, an architectural landmark, attracting people to the area and creating a microeconomy around it. They hope the observatory will inspire the next generation of explorers and encourage more young people to enter disciplines important to our planet's future.

The architects also took into account that the public buildings of each culture represent what was important to that society. With this in mind, the architects created a low-maintenance, long-lasting, durable building. "We hope that in the future this building will speak of the spirit of exploration, the desire of our place and our culture to understand the universe and our existence on this planet."

Home - The Cyprus Planetarium  https://thecyprusplanetarium.com/planetarium-observatory/