In the summer of 2000 I began construction of the entrance to
the Star Tunnel with complete plans, measurements, and
models. It quickly became evident that Star Axis required much,
much more a - major new element, a chamber at the foot of the
Star Tunnel where one could pause and reorient before climbing
the tunnel stairs.
It
was clear that this new chamber could not be modeled or drawn
in advance, and that its geometry would have to be discovered
from inside the work. I made the existing space larger and worked
with full scale plywood mock-ups on-site to discover the best
configuration. In this way I could determine how the space and
star alignments formed around the body.
The
result is the Equatorial Chamber, much more than just a
place to pause. It creates for Star Axis an entirely new
dimension, offering a unique way to experience the intersection
between the equator and the celestial axis.
The
Star Tunnel, parallel to the Earth 's axis intersects at
a right angle with the equator. Inside the Equatorial Chamber
you are at this intersection, and can view the stars that travel
along the equator, as well as the axis and celestial pole.
