2020 Canterbury Architecture Awards Winner
Dark Sky Project
This is a bold and brave insertion into the traditional context of Tekapo – an assertive dissent from vernacular orthodoxy – and the result is a successful convergence of horizontal and vertical elements: Rangi and Papa in harmony. The soaring, omnipresent canopy hovers as a continuum in the night skies, with the transparent glazed interior glowing from within. The project, undertaken with a Ngāi Tahu entity, reveals a clever interweaving of Māori mythology and scientific discovery through its multi-layered spaces. The Brashear telescope adds a suggestion of steampunk, a quirky twist to the simple forms elsewhere. Dark Sky is a most welcome facility for Tekapo, with an architectural aesthetic that will stand the test of time – and space.
- Practice
- Sheppard & Rout Architects Ltd
- Category
- Public Architecture
- Location
- Canterbury
