By Love Shack Architecture
Have you ever found yourself staring at town 'skyglow' or light pollution? This is typically experienced when viewing a town from a remote location.
Jakub Galczynski, member of LoveSchack Architecture, has been collaborating with sculptur Natalie Clark on a Dark Sky Pavilion that will raise public awareness to light pollution issues. Jakub has been concerned about local development and public understanding of light pollution's affect on the ecosystem, wildlife, human health, stargazing and being an energy waste.
Lighting that emits too much light or shines when and where it’s not needed is wasteful. Wasting energy has huge economic and environmental consequences. Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators. - International Dark Sky Association
His collaboration with Natalie Clark allows the design to be artistically engaging. After numerous conversation about natural geometry and stargazing needs, together they designed a sculptural shelter usable as a marker and offering protection from harsh winter winds. Natalie and Jakub spent many months conceptualizing the pavilion to strike public's curiosity.
Reaching 20ft in height, the Dark Sky Pavilion includes a 10ft diameter interior dome for astronomy projections. The overall form takes the shape of an organic ovid slightly askew with two openings; an entry and one sky window. An inflatable assembly will allow access to remote dark sky locations and avoid development in wild places.
The Dark Sky Pavilion will be unveiled just days before the Solar Eclipse, August 21st 2017. Afterwards, the pavilion will join Wyoming Stargazing's free public events held at Rendezvous Park and Center of Arts. One of Jakub's interests was to extend winter stargazing attendance, by creating a warming shelter. The Dark Sky Pavilion has been designed to close its sky window and provide heated space within .
I've spoke to numerous stargazing attendees, in the past, and they simply can't handle the cold. Many of my friends do not even consider the idea of stargazing, during Wyoming winters.
- Jakub