Yepun Observatory

Susana Herrera & Factoria reused an old wooden structure to build an observatory on the shore of Lake Lanalhue, as part of a series of architectural and tourist projects.

The reconciliation between tourism and communities has transformed Lake Lanalhue into a natural, economic and political resource. Yepún is one of the last works developed by Susana Herrera & Factoría in Lake Lanalhue. It continues a series of architectural and tourist projects that have been developed in the province of Arauco, Chile, for more than a decade.

The North-West facade responds to a pedestrian scale, which is reached by a zigzag wood platform. An extruded volume of smaller height softens the main volume and articulates the ascent to the different levels.

The tower is a recycled object. From an old wooden structure, architects removed the staircase and the attic. In order to keep the center of this space clear, they built a ramp around the interior contour formed by cantilevered beams that are attached to the pillars by means of steel profiles, allowing an ascending museological route without being interrupted by pillars in the interior.

The small staircase takes the visitor to the end of the route, to a circular space formed by a perimeter bench and a central pedestal where you meet the telescope. Once here, the ceiling is opened on necessity, so that the telescope’s lens allows to observe the cosmos.