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The tower is conceived as a large periscope to make the Nazca geoglyphs visible from the ground. A system of two mirrors - placed at the bottom and the top of the shaft - reflects images of the geoglyphs inside the tower. Below the bottom mirror, a system of magnifying lenses allows a more detailed exploration of the site. In order to cover the site in its entirety, the twelve-meter diameter periscope-tower is inclined towards the geoglyphs. The hollow shaft has a lesser inclination to structurally counterbalance the exterior solid tube by redistributing the concrete mass. Covered in a highly reflective polished stainless steel skin, the tower mirrors the geoglyphs when approached from northwest, and entirely blends with the sky when seen from opposite direction.

Located on the southeast extremity of the site, the tower is accessible from the other side of the hills through a tunnel. Along with the tower’s hollow interior, the tunnel facilitates natural ventilation of the entire structure. In response to the unique value of the Nazca geoglyphs, the tower exhibits a reverential approach, announcing its presence more as an object in the territory than a building. In its simple appearance, the tower is in fact a utilitarian object, aimed at celebrating the local culture, as well as its global impact.

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The Invisible Periscope

Nazca International Design Competition. Arquitectum
Ica, Peru. 2005
Best Virtual Project Award

Design: M. Razvan Voroneanu

Collaborator: Dan Bolohan

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© M. Razvan Voroneanu. 2014