Dark Sky Project is a facility for Astrotourism in the McKenzie region which is one of the world’s few Dark Sky Reserves.  It houses an experience area, a café/bar/restaurant with a commercial kitchen, a retail outlet, a gathering space for visitors and tour groups, some administration space and observatory for the impressive 125-year-old fully restored Brashear Telescope.  It is a new major tourism focus for the town of Takapō.  The facility is largely owned and run by Ngāi Tahu Tourism.  It was a challenging project requiring sensitive design to integrate it into the iconic high-country mountain landscape all around.  The design reflects the key features of the landscape and natural environment.  It is constructed of curved, fluted concrete walls which evoke the mountains of the area which are formed and rounded off by glacial action then eroded by the effects of wind and rain.  Similar to the Moraine deposits deposited at the end of the lake it sits as a remnant of the forces that shaped our land.  Hovering over this is a black gridded timber roof structure evoking the immensity of the dark sky under which visitors move.

The design was also developed in close consultation with Ngāi Tahu and the local Rūnanga to ensure it reflected their values and aspirations.  The building is designed to represent the creation myth with the separation of Rakinui and Papātūanuku reflected in the manner in which the roof plane hovers over the ground.  In addition, the creation of the lakes by Rākaikautū by carving out the land with his Ko Tuwhakaroria informed the plan and the split through the centre of the building. The catch cry of the concept became “Astronomy meets Mythology”.