303
List, and in addition, accompanied by impressive architecture (well preserved and
renovated).
The important feature connected to this change of research, architecture and
instrumentation is the invention of the observatory park. Instead of one building
with domes on the top, allowing only poor observation possibilities (because the
heating of the building causes air turbulence in the observing dome), the new characteristic feature is the ensemble of buildings in an “astronomy park” with strict
separation of buildings for observation and on the other hand offices, library, administration and residential buildings. This new idea, a revolution in observatory architecture, started with Strasbourg Observatory (1881), realised by the architect
Hermann Eggert (1844–1920), who was a specialist in prestigious buildings. Three
parts are separated in the Botanical Garden: first, the main building with workspaces and the library but still with the dome containing the large refractor; second,
the two domes with smaller instruments; and third, the residential building
(Wolfschmidt, 2005b). The buildings are connected by sheltered corridors. In addition, Strasbourg Observatory is an excellent example of the integration of observatory buildings with other university buildings in urban planning. This feature, the
separation between the main building and the two domes and the meridian hall, can
also be found in the Dr. Karl Remeis Observatory in Bamberg (1889).
18
The next
example is “Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur”, Nice, 1879–1888, which was established as a modern park observatory, a group of buildings in a park (Le Guet Tully
& Sadsaoud, 2009).
In addition, the “Observatorio Astronómico de La Plata”, Argentina (1881/1883),
designed by Pedro Benoit (1836–1897), has very similar in structure: the main
building and all the domes are spread in an astronomy park. Built on a hill at the
border of the city, the new Hamburg Observatory (Wolfschmidt, 2014) fulfils also
the conditions of modern observatory architecture. It was embellished as an ensemble in the astronomy park with a good view of all domes to the south, essential for
astronomical observation. Albert Erbe (1868–1922) built this new observatory in
Hamburg–Bergedorf in Neobaroque style between 1906 and 1912. The main building has a library and offices, a residential building, director’s villa, facility manager
building, five domes, the meridian circle and the solar physics building. Richard
Schorr (1867–1951), director of the observatory, succeeded in obtaining an impressive instrumentation, classical refractors, an equatorial and meridian circles, but
also modern astrophysical instruments like astrographs, 1-m-reflecting telescope
(Fig. 7) and the Schmidt telescope, with cameras, spectrographs and photometers. It
was one of the most modern observatories in Europe of its time. The observatories
of Hamburg and La Plata are currently preparing a serial transnational application
for UNESCO. I have discussed this in detail in the Thematic Study 0: “Astronomical
Observatories: From Classical Astronomy to Modern Astrophysics” (Wolfschmidt,
2009). Observatories are presented in 40 articles. The following 12 observatories
were recommended for a “serial transnational application”: Argentina, La Plata
18 See Wolfschmidt (2015).
Cultural Heritage of Observatories in Context with the IAU–UNESCO Initiative…
List, and in addition, accompanied by impressive architecture (well preserved and
renovated).
The important feature connected to this change of research, architecture and
instrumentation is the invention of the observatory park. Instead of one building
with domes on the top, allowing only poor observation possibilities (because the
heating of the building causes air turbulence in the observing dome), the new characteristic feature is the ensemble of buildings in an “astronomy park” with strict
separation of buildings for observation and on the other hand offices, library, administration and residential buildings. This new idea, a revolution in observatory architecture, started with Strasbourg Observatory (1881), realised by the architect
Hermann Eggert (1844–1920), who was a specialist in prestigious buildings. Three
parts are separated in the Botanical Garden: first, the main building with workspaces and the library but still with the dome containing the large refractor; second,
the two domes with smaller instruments; and third, the residential building
(Wolfschmidt, 2005b). The buildings are connected by sheltered corridors. In addition, Strasbourg Observatory is an excellent example of the integration of observatory buildings with other university buildings in urban planning. This feature, the
separation between the main building and the two domes and the meridian hall, can
also be found in the Dr. Karl Remeis Observatory in Bamberg (1889).
18
The next
example is “Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur”, Nice, 1879–1888, which was established as a modern park observatory, a group of buildings in a park (Le Guet Tully
& Sadsaoud, 2009).
In addition, the “Observatorio Astronómico de La Plata”, Argentina (1881/1883),
designed by Pedro Benoit (1836–1897), has very similar in structure: the main
building and all the domes are spread in an astronomy park. Built on a hill at the
border of the city, the new Hamburg Observatory (Wolfschmidt, 2014) fulfils also
the conditions of modern observatory architecture. It was embellished as an ensemble in the astronomy park with a good view of all domes to the south, essential for
astronomical observation. Albert Erbe (1868–1922) built this new observatory in
Hamburg–Bergedorf in Neobaroque style between 1906 and 1912. The main building has a library and offices, a residential building, director’s villa, facility manager
building, five domes, the meridian circle and the solar physics building. Richard
Schorr (1867–1951), director of the observatory, succeeded in obtaining an impressive instrumentation, classical refractors, an equatorial and meridian circles, but
also modern astrophysical instruments like astrographs, 1-m-reflecting telescope
(Fig. 7) and the Schmidt telescope, with cameras, spectrographs and photometers. It
was one of the most modern observatories in Europe of its time. The observatories
of Hamburg and La Plata are currently preparing a serial transnational application
for UNESCO. I have discussed this in detail in the Thematic Study 0: “Astronomical
Observatories: From Classical Astronomy to Modern Astrophysics” (Wolfschmidt,
2009). Observatories are presented in 40 articles. The following 12 observatories
were recommended for a “serial transnational application”: Argentina, La Plata
18 See Wolfschmidt (2015).
Cultural Heritage of Observatories in Context with the IAU–UNESCO Initiative…