On the occasion of the groundbreaking of Mario Botta's observatory

The groundbreaking ceremony for Mario Botta's swiss space sustainability observatory (S3O) took place on September 9, 2019. Botta broke ground himself alongside former astronaut Claude Nicollier above the village of Niedermuhlern, according to the sponsoring foundation. Also breaking ground in front of more than 100 guests were Bernese Cantonal President Christoph Neuhaus and Foundation Board President Andreas Blaser.

S3O will be built on the Uecht, where the inventor Dr.h.c. Willy Schaerer built a private observatory in the 1960s. The new building planned by Mario Botta will complement the historic observatory with a new building and a modern observing instrument. In contrast to the current upper observatory, S3O will also be usable during the day.

Workshop rooms

The project consists of a white, 11.5 meter high observation tower with a dome. Underground and radially laid out is a 640 square meter information center, where workshop rooms and a 360° planetarium of about 90 square meters of floor space will be installed. The total height of the structure including the dome is 14.4 meters. The observatory is to be accessible to the public by electric vehicle.

The rooms are lit by skylights arranged in a ring around the tower. The observation platform is accessed via an elevator and a central spiral staircase, with niches for exhibitions and visualizations. Four staircases lead from the surrounding park directly into the underground spaces.

Realization 

For the realization of the project, the foundation has built up a network of partners from research, for financing and operations as well as interested parties. In the coming months, it is hoped to find private partners for the "last mile of financing" of about 2 million, which corresponds to one fifth of the total financing, according to a statement by the Uecht Observatory Foundation. Operation of the S3O is expected to be self-sustaining. Until the financing goals are reached, the tender plans will be refined, implementation partners for the construction project will be evaluated and the realization phase will be planned.

Financing for the 9-million project is not yet secured: Two million francs are still missing. According to the sponsoring foundation, the public sector is contributing 2.8 million francs to the project. In 2021, the foundation would like to inaugurate the new observatory. The Uecht Niedermuhlern is suitable for stargazing because there is hardly any fog there in winter. Also, despite its proximity to Bern, it is away from the light smog of the Bern and Thun agglomerations.

https://www.s3o.org/willkommen