Based in Anchorage Alaska, this project utilized climatic research to inform the design of the educational program. Using the Aurora Borealis as the primary informant, an observation center became the program. The building's organization is based on the Aurora, designed to pull visitors through a series of galleries, just as the magnetic poles of the earth pull the sun’s charged particles resulting in beautiful visual displays of light.
The building consists of three glass galleries, one on each floor. From each gallery the next is visible in order to offer a sense of direction and desire to find the next. The final gallery on the third floor doubles as the studio and the main observation point for the Aurora.
Anchorage, Alaska
This proect focused on design challenges found in different parts of the world, such as how to design for daylight when days can be 20+ hours long some times of the year and 4 hours long at other times.
Photo Gallery
