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Aurora Viewing Platform

The Aurora Viewing Platform project was developed during the Eco-Parametric Structures workshop by Rosa Tellez and Ashley Kirk, two talented students at the PAACADEMY.
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The Eco-Parametric Structures workshop organized by PAACADEMY was held from 2nd March to the 13th April 2021 on an online platform. Studio Mamou-Mani is one of the studio workshops at the PAACADEMY with a focus on combining sustainability with parametric design. The studio with the 6 intriguing sessions lead by London based architect, Arthur Mamou-Mani and his team was articulated on the topic of wooden construction through computational design methods. The session focused on developing a parametric, modular and environmentally conscious system in an online studio through interactive workshops and discussions.

Click here to register and watch the recordings.
The project is located in Abisko National Park in Sweden’s Arctic Circle. The main goal was to create a giant glowing Coral in the middle of the arctic landscape as a platform to observe Auroras and also to bring people as well as the communities together in the dark Arctic winters.

As described by the designers the Arctic regions and oceans are two of the most important ecosystems on the frontline in the climate crisis. And their temperature changes are twice that of the rest of the planet. The aim of this project is to bring these two fragile ecosystems together.
Corals were one of the inspirations of the project. “Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton” (Wikipedia). As they glow in the last attempt to invite their Zooxanthellae Algae back home after a bleaching event to survive as a community and continue providing habitats for many species. 

Designers were also inspired by the polar regions that are threatened by dwindling ice cover. Also, Permafrost is thawing for the first time in centuries. “Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer on or under Earth’s surface. It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice. Permafrost usually remains at or below 0°C (32ºF) for at least two years. Permafrost can be found on land and below the ocean floor. It is found in areas where temperatures rarely rise above freezing. This means the permafrost is often found in Arctic regions such as Greenland, the U.S. state of Alaska, Russia, China, and Eastern Europe.” (national geographic) 

Credits:
Studio workshop by PAACADEMY
Studio title: Eco-Parametric Structures
Lead by: Arthur Mamou-Mani and his team
Project name: Aurora Viewing Platform
Students: Rosa Tellez & Ashley Kirk
Date: 2nd March until 13th April 2021
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