Spiraling Shanghai Planetarium

At the new 38,000 square meter Shanghai planetarium – museum, construction work is underway.

The international competition-winning design of the Shanghai Planetarium by Ennead Architects, celebrates the continuum of time and space. It is modern and forward-looking while at the same time presents a link to the past, mirroring both the rich history of Chinese astronomy and the future ambitions of China’s space exploration program.

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.

“Drawing inspiration from astronomical principles, the international competition-winning design strategy invokes the experience of orbital motion. Each of the building’s three principal forms – the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere – acts as an astronomical instrument, tracking the sun, moon and stars and reminding visitors that our conception of time originates in distant astronomical objects.”