The observatory in Charestois (Lunner commune) was built before the total eclipse of the sun in 1954 and is still the largest solar observatory in Europe north of the Alps. This research center belonged to the University of Oslo, during the Cold War they also followed Soviet satellites, but since the end of the 20th century, the observatory's function has shifted from a scientific to an educational function. Since 2008, it has been the property of the Tycho Brahe Institute, which continues the educational line into which the new project of "Snøhetta" fits into.
The architects' plan includes a 1500 m2 planetarium and the surrounding “planetary” houses: this is not a model of the solar system, but there are still similarities with it.
Visitors - from schoolchildren and retirees to researchers and foreign tourists - will approach the observatory through dense forest; their eyes will see the planetarium building with a "pedestrian" roof planted with grass, heather, blueberries and lingonberries. A "sunny" golden dome will emerge from this green cover. The three-story structure, sunk into the ground, includes a planetarium proper for 100 spectators, an entrance area, a cafe and an exhibition hall with a mezzanine level. A children's center is planned in the underground tier.
Seven houses-"planets" around differ in size and surface, made of different materials, as well as the degree of "immersion" in the ground. Six buildings can accommodate from 10 to 32 people (their diameter is 8-10 meters), and the seventh, Zolo, is only six meters across and will serve as a "hotel room" for two.
