RECESS

Earth’s moon is the universe’s busiest spaceport with millions of passengers transiting through it every Earth year. Because of its transitory nature and its role as a host to individuals from across the universe, the Moon is a constantly evolving microcosm of the countless galaxies its visitors arrive from. As part of the spaceport’s commitment to providing opportunities for rest and relaxation, the casino resort provides short-term stays for Planet Hoppers. It offers visitors the opportunity to participate in games being played on distant worlds. As a popular spot for guests to congregate, the casino resort takes on a social and exhibitionist nature becoming a cosmic world’s fair.

Institution

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Project

The First Casino Resort, Space Port, and Golf Facility for Planet Hoppers on the Moon

Instructors

Helen Han and Mack Scogin

Date

Fall 2021

GOLF ON THE MOON

On a terrain where gravity is 1/6th of that on Earth, the game of golf no longer becomes a game of directed power. The decreased gravity on the Moon requires a softness and gentleness to steer the balls through their courses.

Displays of force and brute strength will send the balls into hazards that increase the difficulty of play exponentially. Golf becomes a form of guided meditation, where tenderness and a responsiveness to one’s constantly shifting surroundings are essential.

INTRAPLANETARY AND INTERPLANETARY TRANSPORTATION

Map of different scales of transportation on the Moon including travel off of the surface. The drawing highlights the stark difference in lighting conditions on the Moon’s surface.

The human instinct is to play, where play is characterized by a desire to escape the world of reality. This desire to play is inextricable from the love of risk. The oscillation between the familiar and unfamiliar embodies the essence of a destination that is tethered to earthly existence but has only been known to most from a distance. The Moon balances the demands of various scales of transit—from interplanetary vehicles to localized transportation systems and pedestrian movement.