Large outdoor observatory structure with rotating circular panels.

Explore Michael Jantzen’s Interactive Outdoor Observatory with Rotating 3D Experience and Dynamic Panels

User avatar placeholder
Written by Seth Sebastian

2026-06-15

Imagine stepping inside the internet. Michael Jantzen‘s Internet Observatory makes this concept tangible. Set against the expansive outdoors, this architectural marvel reinterprets internet access with a striking physical form. Its outer grid structure mimics the web’s vast network, while an enclosed curved space beckons you to engage with the flow of global information.

The visionary design by Michael Jantzen captivates the imagination, transforming the abstract into a sensory experience.

People standing around a futuristic metal observatory structure.

Interactive Architecture: A Journey Through Information

Accessing the core involves ascending a staircase to an elevated platform, entering the heart of this conceptual masterpiece. At the center, an interactive workstation rises through a transparent floor, capable of rotating to face any direction. This innovative design places you at the center of a structure representing the complexity of the internet.

Close-up of the observatory's dynamic mechanical panels.

Surrounded by movable curved panels, you can customize the space around you. Panels can open or close to varying degrees, transforming into screens that project images and sounds from the internet. Enter a world where your surroundings adapt to immersive digital stimuli.

Observatory structure surrounded by greenery under a clear sky.

Public and Private Intersections

Remarkably, the panels project images externally, morphing private internet interactions into public exhibitions. This architectural feature blurs personal and communal experiences, inviting external observers to peek into the digital world within.

Interior view showing geometric shapes and interactive elements.

Global Connectivity and Real-Time Interaction

Each structure connects to a dedicated website, enabling remote interaction. Without needing to be physically present, users can influence the content and movement within the space. The experience bridges global connections, allowing someone thousands of miles away to shape what you see and hear.

Children interacting with movable parts of the observatory.

Michael Jantzen envisions these structures dotting the globe, each a node in a physical internet network. Owned publicly or privately, they communicate and interact, echoing the web’s connectivity but in steel and panel form.

Sunlight streaming through the observatory's open panel sections.

The Ritual of Connectivity

Described as a “symbolic temple for the computer age,” entering this structure is a ceremonial act. Unlike a laptop screen, it offers a ritual of engagement—ascending, entering, and being enveloped by global content. This is Jantzen’s architectural vision: a home for the internet that you can physically inhabit.

Source: yankodesign.com