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Adjacent to Shanghai's sprawling Century Park, ground has now broken at the future site of the Shanghai Planetarium, a 38,000-square-metre facility that will become the latest addition to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM). Designed by the New York-based Ennead Architects, the Shanghai Planetarium's Ultra-Modern Space Age design takes its cues directly from the science of astronomy, and the structure's various components borrow heavily from celestial inspiration with each of the various pavilions appearing to orbit around the next.
Built in celebration of the past, present, and future of Chinese astronomy and space exploration, the Shanghai Planetarium's distinctive design and layout will serve to remind visitors of the importance of time in relation to our understanding of the universe. The concentric rings and other design elements are part of the full-bodied experiential lesson to be learned and appreciated upon a visit to the new public facility.
To be complemented by a full array of state-of-the-art educational gallery assets and exhibition spaces, the Shanghai Planetarium will be home to a 68-foot-diameter Digital Sky Theater, 60-foot-diameter Optical Planetarium, IMAX Theater, Education and Research Center, Solar Telescope, Youth Observation Camp, and Observatory.
Set to open in 2020, the Shanghai Planetarium will be a marvelous addition to the SSTM. The design of the new facility was described by lead architect Thomas Wong as being endowed with the ability to "illuminate what it means to be human in a vast and largely unknown universe."
SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.
