A collaboration with StudioPSK for Selfridges.
Every civilisation in history has gazed at the Moon in awe - waiting for the day Man would make his home in space”- Dr. Nick Campion University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Space has always been iconic of ‘The Future’ and man’s constant urge to explore and discover. Arguably, the Moon has played one of the most influential roles in shaping both our present, and our ideas of the future.
Since JFK instigated the first space race in 1961, there has been a lasting love affair with the Moon. It has spawned almost uncountable films, books, TV shows, games, toys – inspiring generations to do great things.
Our lives today are still heavily influenced by the technology created to put man on the Moon. Almost all lives in the western world have been touched by some technology which was initially developed by NASA for the first space race. It is difficult to over estimate the impact on the world the ‘blue dot’ images and 1960s space program has had even today..
However, recently there has been a tragic loss in the landscape of space travel. Man has not been to the Moon since 1972, and NASA space shuttle launches have been permanently cancelled. However, far from being a bleak future for space travel, and our association of space with the future, a new era in the evolution of man’s relationship to the wider Universe is beginning.
So as man’s relationship with the wider Universe begins, what will become of his relationship with the Moon? And what role will the Moon play in the future of planet Earth?
This project examines this potential future relationship. Extrapolating the present context, and weak signals which exist today, the project takes a speculative look at a possible future of a colonised moon. Basing the narratives on fact and current knowledge, the stories of Shackleton blur the lines of fact and fiction.
The architectural model produced is of the genuine topology of the south pole of the moon. The large crater is currently known as Shackleton, is the deepest crater on the lunar surface, and is currently one of the leading proposed sites for the first permanent manned outpost on the moon.