Planetarium in progress

Set to complete in 2020, the planetarium is now taking shape. The building revolves around three central forms – the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere. Here we see how the shapes of the forms reflect planets orbiting in space. Thomas Wong, lead designer of the building and design partner at Ennead Architects, wanted the architecture to connect the purpose of the building to its historical context. ‘The use of the building to manipulate sunlight and demonstrate this most basic astronomical principle connects the modern museum with historic structures that act in similar ways: the Great Pyramids at Giza, Angkor Wat, Jantar Mantar, the Mayan Temples at Chichen Itza,’ Wong explains. §