Tower of Planets

As part of the «Architectural Workshop» track, the «Planet Tower» project was developed—a luminous art object rooted in the concept of transforming the abstract theme of the Solar System into an architectural form. The main objective of the project was to find a way to express this complex and large-scale phenomenon using simple geometric volumes, graphic symbols, and light.

The project decided to move away from the literal depiction of celestial bodies as spheres and instead adopt a more conceptual, symbolic language. The core of the concept was drawn from the astronomical glyphs of the eight planets in the Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A planetary glyph is a graphic symbol used in astrology to represent a specific planet in a natal chart.

The glyphs are arranged according to the sequence of the planets in the Solar System—from Mercury to Neptune. Each symbol repeats around the tower, forming a distinct horizontal band. Thus, the object’s surface is divided into eight levels, each corresponding to a specific planet. The sequence of symbols dictates the structure of the entire composition, and the repetition transforms individual signs into a continuous geometric pattern.

The conical tower features a broad base that tapers gradually to a summit, creating a dynamic, upward-reaching silhouette. The cylindrical volume, in contrast, maintains a constant cross-section throughout its height and is perceived as a more stable and static element. The combination of these two geometric forms generates compositional contrast and allows for different interpretations of the same system of graphic symbols.