Aurora Borealis︎
Arctic Observatory & Housing
Winner of the Dansforth Award & Exhibited at the Crown Hall Exhibition
Chicago, Illinois
Completed at the Illinois Institute of Technology
40,000sf
2012
Chicago, Illinois
Completed at the Illinois Institute of Technology
40,000sf
2012
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b3611498b2e744a9b6c01279c557179a354833dbddcc63a1601a58d157721dbd/14.jpg)
A series of masonry structures located in northern Finland dedicated to the viewing of The Northern Lights. An observatory, remote camping units, and sauna/washroom facilities dot a vast hill to place to provide a focus on being in the woods and observing the lights. The observatory is the showcase piece, acting purely as a lens, gathering people at the entrance, condensing and funneling them on a linear path, and finally expanding out into a large viewing area elevating the significance of the natural phenomenon to be viewed.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4444bf0d40e09298924c2d4311d2bb93aa1d095526ab02ed162abe1c8b83ed28/26.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e0b154584f26d5c5b6238ac3c81de6cf25671e3153424682108e18f570528b32/24.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a44d5fdcd590d819683767f1ef12c9b03c31336a5faeb6daf084154ca304c7e/22.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cdfca76efbf7cfbb27063866faf3195eebdf9c3db3ee0a235f51e2c25bfd44e2/03-2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f51aa60bfaaad2f8be53cbf3c2f8b705ce9f4f5d92c176a66ab0410cab552537/05.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/48e1ed6f08d978f6d7dc45ef2f9cfae085bda02f01e1daf34c492e596509e939/17.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7c870aa44f26068cfd22d99aa3621241377c53ba12b50dfc3659c63777408093/16.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/52eff0519eefa0f3e2b022651e515e9586af2e8d8dd9cf580d147f588bb3060a/01.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a3eea478216384532b7588ee2830ee6eebf39ae1831822c346800fe62590183b/15.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/78162da3b9a3b42ddb950c38d54b9d1b1f60c689691e2df6e82c4260edaaae9a/12.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/10ba3d3a6f85f4033bf74a8ba644f4f5e7d295c5f01bfa753b1f903e9010647f/18.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ae119955548e4c0c3d1db4e8569937fde8911e17fc864eaefe009ae4a0f354c/19.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0af5ff38dc4d24556473bb6aeb5901658c5a9cd0544c0394dc901cbec42144c1/25.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/02f91adccd88cace9fe8d2c4f5fc0c9a34a7cb5ad9ba2bce06e8c7875b102690/20sm.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/62a4f3a5dd9d5361b3c44c1ffa614303ed1b13d3ece2d0efc40fb9bd0c407aeb/13sm.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f00986b2fe82880eeabc28ee2f04688e06371f27fbb1371c382275055bff390f/09.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a8ab99ba201f8d7bc5331d52182c9084d88eafcad18c850ce2040f867e848401/10.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16a129441cd1b523ebe124d4a0e7f93211b434c687dbc0208e88c909bbcde8ea/11.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/136ae73d61e34e66ee5d2288073cb541a9ea14e60ed07b889ecf34b69c74bd57/23sm.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f5350a2b12abbfeb3834efd16baa95a7cd03bc3964bf1611f34d450932dda8ed/28.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/235a25c513036d2b0c72490cb2624a5e5163524fac72a8851bfc73580fc7b77f/02.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bde92a9f7b08881562c0f02906aa6571c7a05499a0d0d6efe1b16a89d8ef973c/04.jpg)
Observatory Model on Exhibit