The Yepun Observatory is located on the shores of Lake Lanalue; it was not the first tourist attraction built by Susana Herrera in the area. Like its predecessors, it connects the needs of the tourism industry and local communities, and is also highly contextual: in particular, it is built of wood - as the area is rich in wood, and there are many builders specialized in working with this material.
The area around the lake, as well as the entire Bio Bio area with its capital, Concepcion, was hit by a strong earthquake in 2010. The old hotel, which had been damaged by the elements, was demolished, while its rounded lobby became the basis for the building of the Yepun observatory, that is, the project of Susana Herrera, in fact - the recycling of "raw materials". During the reconstruction, Douglas fir wood was used: 11 load-bearing supports (200x155 mm) were made of it, the blind cladding of the facades (it is necessary to protect against light pollution), etc. Metal parts were also used, in particular steel rings such as hoops on a barrel, holding the structure in place. All construction work was carried out by local artisans. The customer was the tourist center Quelén with the support of the state.
The tree, according to the architect, is much closer to the Chilean context than the traditional metal domes of the observatories (it should be noted that "Yepun", which means "Venus, the evening star" in the language of the Mapuche-Araucan Indians, is also called the huge telescope of the European Southern Observatory, began work in Chile in 2000; this country for a number of reasons is the optimal and therefore popular place for conducting astronomical research). The shape of the construction of Susana Herrera refers to the pillar-shaped altar of the Mapuche-Reue. Against the background of the lake and the Nahuelbut mountain range, it looks like a single volume, but opens up to the adjacent "plaza" with an amphitheater staircase, suitable for various events.
This is a very small building (area - 54.5 m2, budget - 85,000 euros), which, according to the author of the project, should emphasize the infinitely small place - both in space and in time, which a person occupies in an infinite, still the expanding universe. This is easy to feel when observing through a telescope the light of the stars, which has traveled before us for millions of years - perhaps the rays of the stars that have long been extinguished. The chambered interior, where visitors climb up a spiral staircase to the telescope, creates a special contrast to the night sky that then unfolds in front of them.
