Heatherwick Studio Building a Wild Desert Observatory in Saudi Arabia

Most observatories are built for instruments, but this one is built specifically for people.

Futuristic building with curved, cylindrical structures illuminated at night, set against a starry sky and desert landscape.

London studio Heatherwick has unveiled AlUla Manara, a stargazing center in the Saudi desert near a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The structure rises in interlocking stone tubes that spiral upward and open to the sky, their material pulled directly from the surrounding sandstone landscape.

Futuristic architectural design resembling a cluster of large, metallic shells against a sunset background with two silhouetted figures in the foreground.

An aerial view of a unique architectural structure resembling a cluster of spiraled cones in earthy tones, set against a desert landscape.

Inside: a planetarium, restaurant, and research space. Outside: rooftop observation decks, a stargazing lodge, and remote sleeping pods scattered across the desert for spending the night under the stars.

A group of people observing the night sky through telescopes, featuring a vibrant display of stars and the Milky Way in the background.

AlUla’s skies are the whole point. Far from city light pollution, the region offers some of the clearest views in the world. 🌌

Heatherwick cleverly designed something that makes the most of that incredible starscape, treating the night sky as an experience rather than a backdrop.