Astronomical Observatory of Guatemala

International architecture competition for the New Guatemala Observatory. Cardin Julien was a finalist for the competition (one of the 8 out of 657 entries) and even received a special mention for its original concept.

El Espacio 3 offers to the Guatemala inhabitants an architecture dedicated to science and the mysteries of space. Inspired by Mayan mythology, El Espacio 3 represents, in an abstract way, different levels of life: the inframundo, the world of shadows, and the sky. Concretely, the reinterpretation of the symbolism allows the organisation of the program over three levels, integrating bioclimatic strategies and an original and contextualized esthetic. Finally, the observatory and its telescope are deployed vertically in the untamed nature of the site, like a flower.