GEMMA OBSERVATORY, Southern New Hampshire | 2016

Architects: Anmahian Winton Architects
Client: Withheld
General Contractor: Patriot Painters & Builders
Photographs: Courtesy of the Architects and Client

Located in the mountains of central New Hampshire, this Observatory is positioned at the end of a steep, half-mile gravel drive. Its exposed site is characterized by granite outcroppings and is situated at the center of a three-mile radius “dark” landscape with very little light pollution, ideal for sky observation. Gemma operates completely off the grid, powered by a photovoltaic panel assembly.

The Observatory’s design rejects a traditional dome in favor of a synthesized architectural form that provides optimal usable interior space and responds to the stark geographic context. Its continuously faceted shape reflects the surrounding landform, and terraced concrete platforms transition between the summit’s granite bedrock and the building foundation, knitting together the natural and man-made landscapes. An unconventional pattern of lock-seamed zinc cladding mediates between the irregular site topography and the building’s geometry, reflecting the building’s orientation to both geological and celestial landmarks. Its dimension, color, and patina evoke a material relationship to the gray granite outcroppings that characterize the summit, while its heat transfer capability facilitates sky observation by minimizing temperature differential distortion.

As a counterpoint to the exterior and its context, the interior is lined with fir plywood, creating a haven of refuge and warmth from the harsh surroundings. The first floor is comprised of a research office, sleeping bunk, and warming room, and is super-insulated to prevent interior/exterior temperature differentials from creating heat eddies that would impede astronomical viewing. A helical, plywood-and-steel stair leads from the cantilevered entry canopy to a fissure in the cladding that opens to the exterior observation deck and telescope. Continuing, the stair arrives at Gemma’s primary viewing space in the turret, a 16’ diameter viewing platform, characterized by high ceilings, a larger telescope, and a camera array. A single person can rotate this turret by hand with an assembly typically used in high-precision manufacturing facilities, and a hand-cranked sliding hatch opens the telescope to the sky. A rift in the zinc cladding creates a corner window, framing Polaris when the turret is locked into the southern cardinal position.