Robert Morris Observatory
An example of land art, a combination of visual art and architecture. The American artist Robert Morris designed this Observatory for the exhibition 'Sonsbeekbuiten de Perken' (1971). The observatory was then located between Santpoort and Velzen. It was rebuilt in 1977 and is located in Flevoland. A circular space, enclosed by earthen walls, forms the heart of this unique combination of visual art, architecture and symbolism. You will find the Observatory on the Swifterringweg between Lelystad and Swifterbant.
Longest day of the year
The Observatory forms one whole with the surroundings. Here, the rhythm of day and night and the changing of the seasons merge in peace, and it is the place where every inhabitant of this country should experience a sunrise at least once in his life on 21 June, during the longest day.
The sunrise on the longest day is celebrated yearly, a ritual that has marked a critical moment in the annual cycle for many peoples and cultures for thousands of years.
There are three visors on the east side: the two outer ones are on a hill. The middle one consists of two heavily dimensioned steel plates. Wooden tunnels provide access to the centre. Anyone standing on the stone in the middle can see the visors through three narrow openings.
The left crosshair marks the summer solstice, the point where the sun rises into the crosshairs just after 05:00 on the longest day (around 21 June). The centre crosshair marks the point where the sun passes on 21 March and 21 September. The right crosshair coincides with the sunrise point on the shortest day, around 21 December.
Special acoustics
The acoustics of the Observatory are also special: standing on the stone in the middle of the circle, the spoken text starts singing around, and the sound reverberates like in a church. Soft whispers against the wall can be heard in stereo on the other side.
The Observatory is then the setting for Sunsation, an event where poems are read, music blares around the circle and people wait breathlessly for the sun to rise.
