In 1969, the space race peaked with the success of the Apollo 11 mission bringing the first man to walk on the moon.
Today, nearly half a century later, new technological advances and a renewed desire to explore space are igniting a new race. This time, however, we are tired of just walking. We want to inhabit! But how?
Eleven is excited to announce its first international ideas and design competition on space architecture.
We invite thinkers, architects, designers, artists, academics and visionaries from around the world to imagine innovative solutions for Moontopia – the first ever self-sufficient lunar colony designed for living, working, researching and – why not – a little space tourism too.
How will mankind exist on the moon? You decide.
From the beginning of time, mankind has always had a fascination with the moon.
By the 1950s, the USSR and the USA were competing with one another for global dominance in what became known as the Cold War. Suddenly, space became the centre of the contention. On August 2, 1955, the Space Race officially began, with both countries racing to put a man into orbit.
The USSR became the first country to successfully put a man – Yuri Gagarin – into space on the 12th April 1961. Now, the stakes were raised as the focus moved from being the first country to conquer space, to being the first to reach the moon.
By the late 1960s, the space race reached its peak with NASA’s Apollo 11 programme. The mission? Put a man on the moon.
On the 20th July 1969, the dream became a reality when the Apollo 11 landing craft successfully touched down on the lunar surface and Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.
The race to get to the moon was over.
Between 1969 and 1972, there have been six successful manned missions to the moon, all from the USA. In total, 12 people have walked on the lunar surface. Some of these astronauts even drove on it in lunar buggies.
No one has walked on the surface of the moon since 1972.
Nearly half a century after the first man walked on the moon, new leaps in technological advances and a renewed desire in space exploration have ignited a new Space Race.
Space Architecture is becoming an emerging field in both practice and academia, driven by the desire to expand our scientific knowledge of outer space, kick-start space tourism, and ultimately make mankind a multi-planetary/galactic species.
The notion of having human colonies around our solar system are no longer confined to science fiction. They are starting to be understood as viable realities which could be achieved in surprisingly near futures. In fact, to some degree, they already exist!
In 1998, the first component of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched. Today, the station has grown significantly. It can be seen with the naked eye from Earth and has allowed humans to live and work in orbit for prolonged periods of times for over 15 years.
Today, the attention is shifting from floating stations to fixed bases on extraterrestrial surfaces. All eyes are back on the moon. This time, however, we are tired of just walking. We want to inhabit!
NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), Russia and China have all been working on designs for lunar architecture, often relying on leading architectural practices (such as Foster + Partners) to help them imagine these structures. Meanwhile, private companies such as Virgin Galactic have joined the race to see if they too can get people into space for the purpose of space tourism.
With all this buzz surrounding space travel, will we finally see mankind return to the Moon with a view to inhabit? What does this mean in terms of design? How can architecture adapt to its lunar surroundings and respond to a whole new set of criteria – be it advantages or threats – such as extreme temperature shifts, lunar quakes or reduced gravity?
What could lunar architecture actually look like today?
We invite you to design innovative solutions for MOONTOPIA – the first ever self-sufficient Lunar base/colony designed for: living, working, researching and – why not – a little space tourism too.
What this means is ultimately up to you.
We would like to have you call the shots of how you want to interpret this challenge. There are no right or wrong solutions, just endless possibilities! Dont see the brief as constricting immagination. Feel free to develop it in the direction you see fit. We seek true originality and proactive change through design. We encourage you to have fun, explore possibilities and release your creative problem solving genius.
Here are some questions designed to get you thinking:
Are you relying on materials/natural shelters (i.e. craters) found on the moon or are your materials brought to the site from Earth? 3D printing? Lightweight or heavyweight structures? Inflatables? Is the base prefabricated? Is it assembled on the Moon or does it come already assembled in full or in part from Earth? Perhaps it’s a combination or methods? How are the materials brought to the moon?
How big is your base? Are you proposing a lunar city for 50,000 people or a moon building(s) for a dozen astronauts? Is the design modular? Does it (or can it) grow in time through a phased construction plan? Do you imagine a colony where people can live permanently as lunar citizens or an area where astronauts/space tourists will have living shifts similar to what currently happens on the International Space Station?
Is your base designed to have an artificial atmosphere? What about sustenance? How are you planning to make the base self-sufficient (i.e. energy and food)? Or is it self-sufficient to a degree but still relies on supply links from Earth?
Is the base intended for lunar colonisation alone, or is it a stepping stone for outer space (i.e. Mars) exploration?
Submission:
x2 A1 sheets and 500 words explanatory text per team. Physical models are optional but encouraged. Projects to be submitted online by Friday 11th November 2016.