Architecture here becomes a cosmic instrument. Conceived as a spatial representation of the solar system, the Astronomy and Space Science Gallery transforms abstract Heavenly Occurrences into an Simple, immersive experience. A Glowing central void acts as the sun, Securing a arrangement of Surrounding galleries that Compose the Tourist’s journey from the familiar to the endless. At its core, a star theater appears to ascend above an Stadium, falling structure, Display, and learning into a single Constructional moment—where science is not merely Noticed, but physically Occupied.
The Design Of The Astronomy & Space Science Gallery Turns Into An Immersive Experience | INI Design Studio
As India’s largest Stellar science and space science facility, the immersive experience of the Gallery is a key component of Gujarat Science City. It occupies a Large plot plot beside the Aquatic and Planet Earth Galleries, forming a Threefold alliance.
Spanning 8,500 sqm, the project Represents public architecture principles: Transparency, Openness, cultural Betterment, and collective learning. It makes complex scientific ideas accessible to visitors of all ages and backgrounds.”
The architectural vision draws inspiration from the forms, motions, and patterns of the cosmos, the Structure’s celebrated subject. The immersive experience of the visitor journey unfolds as a layered exploration, moving from the Solar System to Cosmic neighbourhoods and distant space frontiers. Designers weave physical exhibits, Increased reality, and Mixed media installations together to create immersive environments that combine education with wonder.
The designers organize the Gallery into five distinct blocks: a three-storey central atrium surrounded by four peripheral blocks. This layout forms a Solar System metaphor, with the four surrounding blocks subdivided to symbolize the eight orbiting planets.
A monumental 24-metre-diameter brass-plated globe representing the sun suspends within the atrium. It is supported by peripheral steel structures above the event space. The globe houses the planetarium, accessed via an upper-level bridge, reinforcing the sense of a celestial body suspended in space.
Encircling upper-floor corridors offer continuous views of the solar system model, with eight planet sculptures orbiting the central globe. Interpretive graphics and experiential elements, like a Foucault’s Pendulum and a mechanical Orrery, engage visitors with fundamental astronomical principles. Therefore, giving them an immersive experience. An observatory extends the experience beyond representation, allowing direct interaction with the cosmos through telescopic viewing and educational workshops.
From the central atrium, visitors move through three levels of galleries within the peripheral blocks, thematically organized along a timeline exploring the past, present, and future of astronomy and space science.
Immersive interiors featuring illuminated exhibits, interactive installations, and audio-visual media blur the boundaries between learning and entertainment. Additionally, outdoor exhibits and observation decks further extend the journey, eventually transforming the act of looking at the stars into a shared civic experience.
To realize the building’s elevated, floating concept and dynamic geometry, the structure incorporates large cantilevered galleries supported on steel bracings, along with a vast 34 × 34 meter central atrium that houses the planetarium and amphitheater.
The designers selected steel as the primary structural material for its strength, flexibility, and capacity to articulate complex forms, enabling a careful balance between engineering precision and architectural expression.
The spherical planetarium, crafted entirely in steel, is supported on four V-shaped columns, creating the striking illusion of levitation above the space below. The atrium is enclosed within a high-performance glazed envelope that ensures transparency, daylight penetration, and visual connectivity across levels.
Externally, the building is wrapped in perforated metal screens that provide solar shading and reduce heat gain, while generating a kinetic façade that responds to changing light and shadow—reinforcing the gallery’s futuristic and lightweight character.
The Gallery is designed to meet high global sustainability benchmarks through an integrated set of passive and active strategies. These include solar shading devices, high-performance glazing, rainwater harvesting and reuse systems, energy-efficient central cooling, on-site solar photovoltaic installations, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, operable windows, and daylight sensors. Together, these measures ensure environmental responsibility while supporting long-term operational efficiency.
In line with India’s broader vision of fostering scientific temper, the Astronomy and Space Science Gallery plays a critical civic role in cultivating curiosity, rational thought, and inquiry. By translating complex scientific ideas into spatial, experiential narratives, the project redefines the public educational facility—not as a static repository of information, but as a living, participatory landscape of discovery that invites wonder, dialogue, and collective imagination.
Fact File
Designed by: INI Design Studio
Project Type: Museum / Science & Edutainment Centre
Project Name: Astronomy and Space Science Gallery
Location: Science City Campus, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Client: Gujarat Council of Science City
Year Built: 2025
Built Area: 137745.76 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Jayesh Hariyani
Photograph Courtesy: Vinay Panjwani
Project Director: Rakhi Rupani & Saumil Mevada
Sr. Project Manager: Bhargav A. Bhavsar
Project Architect: Mukul Chaturvedi & Muskan Jobanputra
Project Director (MEPF Eng): Parth Joshi
Sr. Electrical Engineer: Nirav Shah
Firm’s Website Link: INI Design Studio
The Firm’s Instagram Link: INI Design Studio
Firm’s Facebook Link: INI Design Studio
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