On Monday, April 14, a contract was signed between the Limassol district administration and the project contractor J. Mantis Constructions Ltd for the construction of a new observatory.
It is expected that the construction of the modern astronomical center will begin next week.
It will have ties with other European observatories, forming a network of information and training centers for astronomical observations and space.
The Troodos Observatory will be the first large center in Cyprus to attract astronomers, observers, scientists, researchers and astronomy enthusiasts from all over the world. The observatory will look like a spaceship ready to take off.
The architectural design of the project was developed by Elena Tsolakes in collaboration with her brother Nikodemous of Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects. The building of the new observatory has already received many international awards and recognitions, including a finalist for the World Architecture Awards.
The observatory has two rooms with huge telescopes: a 20-inch astronomical observatory telescope with a mechanically rotating vaulted roof and a solar observatory telescope for daytime use with a specially designed mechanically movable roof. A presentation hall will also appear in the building, which will be used as a planetarium.
"This project has long been the dream of many people in Cyprus, and we are very pleased that our vision for this building will finally be realized,” said Elena Tsolakes at the contract signing ceremony.
It is noteworthy that the building of the new observatory will be periodically open at night, so that astrology lovers can observe the stars or unusual phenomena in the sky.
The observatory building is part of the GEOSTARS GEOSTARS project - Interreg VA Greece-Cyprus cross-border cooperation program for 2014-2020, which is co-financed by the European Union (ERDF) and the National Resources of Greece and Cyprus.
According to preliminary estimates, the construction of a new observatory in Cyprus will take about 16 months. The project cost is estimated at about 1.4 million euros + VAT.