Shanghai Planetarium
In November 2016, construction work began on the Shanghai Planetarium, a project inspired by orbital motion.
Designed by Ennead Architects, the 38,000 sq. m planetarium is intended to ‘define a new identity for the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM) and the Lingang district of Shanghai’.
The competition-winning design is inspired by astronomical principles, with each of the building’s three orms – the oculus, the inverted dome and the sphere representing an astronomical instrument, tracking the sun, moon and stars.
Thomas Wong, lead designer of the planetarium and Design Partner said:
"In linking the new Museum to both scientific purpose and to the celestial references of buildings throughout history, the exhibits and architecture will communicate more than scientific content: they will illuminate what it means to be human in a vast and largely unknown universe.”
The project, led by Mr. Wong and management partner Guy Maxwell, is set to open in 2020.
Content and images courtesy of Ennead Architects.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.

























Comments
You could argue that the concept resembles two galaxies colliding together!