Star Gazing camp site
>> location > Riyadh/KSA
>> year > > 2024
>> A joint venture with ahb architects in ksa
Set within the expansive desert landscape of a Reserve in the heart od the Saudi Arabian Desert, the Stargazing Camp masterplan is conceived as an immersive territorial experience rather than a conventional retreat. Located approximately 500 meters from the main road, the site’s subtle shifts in elevation; between plateaus, gentle slopes, and shallow depressions; are carefully choreographed to create a sequence of arrival, movement, and pause. The masterplan organizes the camp into clusters connected by a clear pedestrian axis and discreet vehicular routes, allowing visitors to traverse the terrain gradually, discovering changing vantage points while maintaining a low physical and visual footprint across the 390,000-square-meter site.
At the heart of the project lies a linear experiential narrative described as “bringing the sky to the ground.” From the main drop-off, visitors are guided along a pedestrian axis that unfolds as a spatial story: a reflective black pool mirrors the night sky, while subtle ramps draw the body downward, creating moments of compression and release. The Visitor’s Center is entirely concealed within an excavated mound, formed through subtraction rather than addition. Inside, a dramatic void carved into the terrain is centered around an oasis and crowned by a large skylight, allowing daylight, and at night, the stars, to penetrate deep into the earth. Above, a triangular observation deck rises gradually to nine meters, framing expansive views of the camp and desert while marking a moment of orientation and gathering.
The journey culminates at the Observatory, where architecture transitions from the grounded and contemplative to the vertical and technological. Rotated turret towers house telescopes and observation spaces, their form and materiality contrasting with the buried visitor facilities while symbolically reaching toward the sky. Programmatically, the Observatory integrates educational galleries, interactive libraries, lounges, and viewing decks into a continuous axis of learning and discovery. Distributed service clusters, fire pits, and tented accommodations are positioned to maintain privacy and darkness, essential for stargazing, while reinforcing a collective rhythm of movement across the site. Together, the masterplan frames the desert not as a backdrop, but as an active participant—where terrain, architecture, and celestial observation merge into a singular spatial experience.
