Ever looked up at the night sky and just lost yourself in the view? Heatherwick Studio is taking that feeling to a whole new level with AlUla Manara, an eye-popping AlUla Manara desert observatory dropping right into the remote sands of north-west Saudi Arabia.
Instead of building a boring, cold metal box, the designers looked at spiral galaxies, shells, and planetary rings for inspiration. The result? A stunning bundle of giant, telescope-like stone tubes rising straight out of the desert. It looks like something straight out of sci-fi, but it’s totally grounded in nature.
What makes this spot special is that it’s not just for serious scientists locked away in a lab. You get to walk right alongside ongoing research while exploring immersive exhibition galleries, a planetarium, and a killer rooftop observation deck. Oh, and there’s a restaurant, too—because stargazing works up an appetite!
Built inside a dark sky park, it offers some of the clearest views of the cosmos on Earth. Clever shading keeps the building cool under the blazing sun while protecting the pitch-black night skies needed for dark sky stargazing.
Whether you want to drop by for an afternoon or spend the night in a remote stargazing pod, this project by Heatherwick Studio architecture turns space discovery into an unforgettable adventure. Get ready to add this to your travel bucket list!
