Presentation boards
Composition des Presentation boards du Projet — JPC 1993
Mémoire de Fin d'Études · School of Architecture, Paris Conflans · UPA 4
Architecture Beyond Earth
This project drew in 1993 what NASA is now building — Mission Artemis
"Humanity will not remain on Earth forever, but in the pursuit of light and space will at first timidly penetrate beyond the atmosphere, and then will conquer all of solar space." — Konstantin Tsiolkovski (1857–1935)
01 — Concept
Like Christopher Columbus reaching a new world, this project imagines the first milestones of a permanent human presence on the Moon.
Over thirty years ago, the Apollo missions demonstrated the feasibility of lunar travel. This thesis explores the next step: designing a durable, habitable and adaptable architecture on the lunar surface, addressing the energy, scientific and human challenges of the 21st century.
The project integrates the radical constraints of the lunar environment — absence of atmosphere, radiation, extreme thermal variations — as foundational design data. The goal: to create a pleasant living environment in harmony with a high-technology universe, while expressing the symbolic dimension of a new industrial era.
The Man/Robot complementarity structures the project. Robots handle specific tasks in hostile environments; humans manage reconfiguration, programming and decision-making. This synergy directly determines the spatial organisation of the base.
Beyond the technical project, this lunar base is conceived as a lever for international cooperation, a catalyst for Earth's economy, and the first link in an extended human presence across the Solar System.
02 — Scientific Context
Before designing, one must understand. The physical and environmental characteristics of the Moon determine every architectural choice.
The absence of a lunar atmosphere implies a total absence of water, extreme thermal variations (+120°C / −160°C), and direct exposure to solar and cosmic radiation.
Solar and cosmic radiation represent the major risk to human life on the Moon. Radiation shielding becomes a structuring principle of lunar architecture.
Lunar regolith contains 30% metals, 20% silicon and 40% oxygen. These local resources are the key to the autonomy of any human colony.
Solar Power Satellites represent the opportunity to continuously capture solar energy and redistribute it on Earth, transforming the Moon into a global energy hub.
From Sputnik (1957) to MIR station, through Apollo and Skylab — a look back at the milestones that made the idea of a permanent lunar base possible.
Lifestyle, weightless gardens, psychological balance, physical exercise: the base design must address human needs as much as technical requirements.
03 — Programme
The colonisation process unfolds in three progressive phases, from a minimal base to an autonomous lunar city.
04 — Site & Drawings
Located at the lunar south pole, in a large crater of the Leibnitz mountains — oriented towards the galactic centre, symbolically open to the Universe.
Site
Large crater of the Leibnitz mountains — South Pole, near side of the Moon. Reduced thermal amplitude (Sun always on the horizon), facilitated access via polar orbit station every 2 hours.
The proximity of both sides of the Moon allows an observatory to be installed on each: radio-astronomy on the far side, permanent observation of Earth on the near side.
Radio-astronomy without terrestrial interference. Unique ideal site in our system.
Passes above the base every 2 hours. Permanent Moon–Earth link.
The base is symbolically oriented towards the galactic centre, open to the Universe.
