Cultural Center of EU Space Technologies (KSEVT) - Space Habitable Wheel

Vitanje, Slovenia

Photo © Tomaz Gregoric

Photo © MIRAN KAMBIC

Photo © Tomaz Gregoric

arkkitehdit: Sadar+Vuga

Location: Vitanje, Slovenia
Year: 2012

The Cultural Center of European Space Technologies (KSEVT) will supplement the cultural and social activities of the Arts Center in Vitanje, the town in Slovenia that was home to Herman Potocnik Noordung, the first theoretician of space. The concept design for the building of the KSEVT derives from the habitation wheel of the first geostationary space station described in Noordung's 1929 book.

Noordnung's space station was designed as a geostationary satellite out of three parts: a solar power station, an observatory and a habitable wheel. After several decades of ponderings on the habitation of space, this idea remains to be the most revolutionary, yet not realized. The rotating habitable wheel, a circular construction setting up artificial gravity with the centrifugal force, is the best and at the same times a simple solution for long-term human habitation of weightlessness.

The building is a monolithic concrete structure, positioned freely between a main road on one side and a stream with a green hinterland on the other. The exterior and interior of the building are made of two low cylinders. The bottom one is larger and rises from the North to the South, while the upper cylinder is smaller and joins the larger one on the south while rising to the North. The bottom cylinder is supported by the transparent surface of the entrance glazing.

From the exterior, there is a dynamic effect between the cylinders, accentuated by the full glass rings around the building. The building appears to float and rotate on its southern and western sides towards the road. The entrenchment of the building into the surface on the other side gives a connection to its immediate surroundings.

On the west, there are smaller office areas along the ramp. Ascending this ramp also represents a transition from the bright space of the hall to the dark exhibition area. The vertical connection with a staircase and large elevator connects the exhibition area directly to the vestibule of the hall. The exhibition space continues through the landing between the elevator and the staircase to the smaller cylinder, the multi-purpose hall, and a raised auditorium above the hall. From here, one can observe the activity below. The smaller cylinder is concluded at the highest, northernmost portion with a club area devoted to researchers of the history of space technology, where they can focus on their work aside from the activities below.