In the Press

SOM Imagines What a Human Settlement on the Moon Will Look Like

What will life look like for humans on the moon? Skidmore, Owings & Merrill has an idea. The architecture, urban planning, and engineering firm has just released a first look at their conceptual designs for what they’re calling “Moon Village,” the first permanent settlement for human life on the moon, which will be planned, designed, and engineered entirely by SOM (though the entire operation is a joint collaboration with the European Space Agency and MIT). The project will need to provide resources for human life to survive long-term on the lunar surface, which raises hurdles that don’t come into question with life on Earth, including “radiation protection, pressure differentials, and how to provide breathable air,” says Colin Koop, one of the project’s design partners, in a press statement. He also states that resiliency and self-sufficiency are essential. It’s unclear how many people the project can accommodate.